Just Another Day
by penguino3782
Summary: Mike's life is forever changed after he suffers a ruptured aneurysm.  It will be a tough road, but he is surrounded by Harvey, Donna, and company.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Suits.**

**Notes: I wrote this based on a prompt over at SuitsMeme, who was looking for something like Pokeyshadow's Patience is a Virtue. For those of you who haven't read it, it's an awesome White Collar fic, and I strongly suggest you do. I'm going to frame my story after hers in the sense that it's going to be a bunch of one shots centering on a major plot twist. I'm trying to make my story different than hers, but if things look similar I apologize. It's completely unintentional. I hope you enjoy.**

**Just Another Day**

**Chapter 1**

Harvey is busy putting together the things that he needs for the night, and checks them up off the list that's in his mind, quietly. "Phone, check. Brief case, check. Harvard baseball hat, check. Batteries, check. _The Book of Dead Philosophers, _I still don't know how he can make sense of that crap, check. Copy of _The Good Guys _blu ray, check. _Rocky, _check. _The Historian's-_"

"I got some of those chocolate chip cookies from that bakery he likes," Harvey's check list stops, as he looks to see where the intrusion came from. He looks at Donna in the doorway with a stern look on his face. He glances at the bag of cookies that she has in her hands.

"You can't keep giving him sweets. It's not good for him."

"Hey, at least he's eating now. It wasn't too long ago that they were considering putting a feeding tube in," Donna replies. Harvey's stern look disappears when Donna says this. How could he forget how difficult it was to get Mike to eat after the surgery? No matter what they tried, it was a battle to get him to eat. Scenes of past countless lectures, angry outbursts, and heartfelt pleas run through Harvey's mind at the thought. Hell, it's still difficult to get him to eat an acceptable amount of food. But, at least he's eating _something _now.

"I'll give them to him, if I get a good report on how he's been doing."

"You better, and don't forget to give him this," Donna says as she adds a copy of _The Hunger Games_ to Harvey's pile.

He raises his eyebrows in response, "he actually wants to read this?"

"When Rachel visited him over the weekend she told him about it. He seemed interested, but she couldn't bring it to him because she's been busy with the Jacobson case. He mentioned something to me last night when I stopped by. So, here it is."

"Okay, well I better get going. I have to stop and grab some dinner at Tony's before I head over there," Harvey says.

"Ok, don't forget, no spicy mustard on his sandwich. He doesn't like spicy foods."

"I know, Donna. I have it covered. Have a good night."

"You too. Tell Mike, I say hi and I will stop by over the weekend. I'm bringing the _Back to the Future _Trilogy." Donna has a smile on her face; she's looking forward to this weekend. Harvey promises to do just that and then grabs the rest of his loot and makes his way to the elevator to leave for the night.

**XXXXX**

"Do you need help, Mr. Specter?" a cheerful voice calls out to Harvey as he struggles with his bag of goodies and a takeout bag from Tony's. Harvey looks towards the guardian angel with a look of gratitude.

"Yes, thanks, Becky. And please, how many times do I have to tell you, call me Harvey." Harvey looks at the petite, brunette nurse. Becky has been a god send sense this nightmare started. The gentle nurse has been a constant fixture in Mike's recovery from the first day he arrived at Pine View Rehabilitation Center. It was Becky's reassuring smile, and guidance that made Harvey more comfortable with the idea of leaving Mike all alone in a new place, so soon after surgery. Now with Becky's support Mike is making great strides. Harvey will forever be in debt to Becky and the other staff members of Pine View Rehabilitation Center.

"How's Mike doing today?" Harvey asks.

The quick look of unease that passes over Becky's face is all that Harvey needs to make a guess. Mike isn't having a good day. With a somber look on his face Harvey asks, "What is it?"

Becky calmly says," He's been off all day. Probably has to do with the fact that he barely slept last night. When Tina was doing her rounds over night, she noticed that Mike was up both times she checked in on him. And you know what happens when he doesn't sleep."

Harvey knows exactly what happens when Mike doesn't sleep nowadays. Even though Harvey knows that he cannot compare the Mike of now to the Mike of old, sometimes he can't help it. It's hard to believe that the same kid who used to be able to pull off all nighters without yawning then, is so drastically different from the Mike now when he doesn't get the sleep he needs. Harvey takes Becky's words as a bit of a warning and proceeds toward Mike's room.

As Harvey enters Mike's room he hears the tv going. An episode of Law & Oder is playing. Mike is sitting there on his bed, watching tv. Mike must have heard Harvey's footsteps, because before Harvey could even knock, Mike is already looking towards the door. Harvey smiles at Mike as he makes his ways towards Mike's bed. Harvey takes a good look at Mike. Even after two months, it's still strange to see Mike like this. With his Nike track pants, Harvard sweatshirt, and a Yankee cap, Mike looks like a teenager lounging at home. Not Harvey's golden boy associate. Harvey would do anything to see Mike in a suit, even wearing one of his ridiculous, skinny ties. That means Mike would be working alongside Harvey at Pearson Hardman, and isn't recuperating at a rehabilitation facility, relearning every day skills that everyone takes for granted. Harvey shakes the longing feeling for the way things used to be out of his head, and holds up the new Harvard baseball cap he brought.

"I couldn't stand looking at your ratty Yankee hat anymore, so I got you a new one."

With a genuine smile on his face, Mike reaches for the cap that Harvey is holding. Harvey can't help but notice the shaking of Mike's hand as he goes to grab the cap out of Harvey's outstretched hand. Harvey knows that shaking is a telltale sign that Mike's body needs rest. Mike happily replaces the Yankee hat with the newer one that Harvey brought. There is only a three second window where Harvey can see the scar on Mike's head. Harvey would like to think that he has gotten over his uneasiness over seeing the scar, but he also knows that the scar is substantially less noticeable than it was immediately following Mike's surgery and beginning of his recovery. The fact that Mike's hair is now at a buzz cut length also helps to camouflage the scar.

"The-h-h-inks, H-h-h-h-are-v-v-vey," Mike says.

Harvey briefly closes his eyes, reminding himself that now Mike only stutters like this when he's tired. Mike's progress isn't regressing. All those hours with Charlie, Mike's speech therapist, are not going to be for nothing. Once Mike gets some decent sleep, he's going to once again be spewing useless information that at one point annoyed Harvey to no end. But, now Harvey loves it. It reminds him, that Mike is still Mike, and no brain aneurysm is going to change that.

"No problem, kid. I got us some dinner from Tony's." Harvey sees the looks of uneasiness pass over Mike's face. He knows that Mike's nervous that he brought something to eat that would require the use of utensils. Even with all the progress that Mike has made sense the ruptured aneurysm; his fine motor skills are still a work in progress. Using the remote control is tough, but manageable. Buttons are even more difficult. Anything that requires holding something small is nearly impossible, this includes simple tasks such as, writing, brushing your teeth, and of course eating. What makes it even more difficult is that the only way that Mike's motor skills are going to improve is if he practices these skills. And he won't do so in front of Harvey. Harvey knows that Mike's reluctance to do so is because he's afraid of looking weak in front of him. No matter how many times Harvey tries to reassure Mike that this is not the case, he knows that Mike still feels the same way.

Harvey takes the turkey sandwich out of the takeout bag, unwraps it, and places it in front of Mike to eat. Mike looks at it wearily. Harvey instantly knows why Mike is so untrusting of the sandwich. Another effect of the aneurysm is that Mike's appetite has changed. Foods that he used to love before the aneurysm, he can't stand to look at now. He used to love spicy mustard on his sandwiches, but this is no longer the case. Harvey still can't help but laugh when he thinks of the time when Louis found this out the hard way.

"Don't worry kid, no spicy mustard this time. Just plain turkey and cheese with lettuce and tomato on a hard roll."

"Let-t-t-t-uce?" Mike questions with a look of distaste on his face.

"Yep, you have to get your vegetables some way. You'll barely taste it with the tomato, cheese, and turkey."

Mike takes Harvey's word and takes a bite of his sandwich. Harvey opens the bag of barbecue chips he brought for Mike and places them on the table next to Mike's sandwich.

"D-d-d-id y-y-ou bring m-m-m-e some-some-th-th-ing to dr-r-rink?"

"Here you go." Harvey opens the can of Pepsi and puts a straw in it. He hands it over to Mike to take a sip. Once Mike is situated with his dinner, Harvey takes out his own sandwich and fries and begins to eat. Dinner is quiet, and the only times words are spoken is when they make a comment about something that happened on the episode of Law & Order that is playing on the television. Not too long after, they both finish their respective meals.

Glad to see that Mike actually ate everything (including the lettuce), he turns to Mike and says, "Good job, rookie. Donna got these for you." Harvey places the chocolate chip cookies on the tray. Mike happily grabs a cookie and quickly devours it. Harvey can't help but smile, that is such a Mike thing to do. "Okay, enough of this Law & Order shit, let's put on a movie. I say _Rocky."_

Mike shakes his head in agreement. Harvey puts the movie on and the two of them are quickly immersed with watching the movie. Throughout the movie they talk about the movie, what's going on at Pearson Hardman, and the latest issue of Rolling Stone. Before long, the casual talk tapers off. Harvey looks at Mike, and sees that the kid is fast asleep. His baseball hat had fallen off, and his head is tilted to the right. His exhaustion has finally caught up with him

Harvey smiles. Its times like this, with him and Mike bantering back and forth that gives Harvey hope that everything will be ok. Like a proud papa bear, he's proud at how far Mike has come. It's been two months sense Mike's and in a way Harvey's life has changed. In some ways, these two months feel like a lifetime, but in other ways they feel like they flew. That's probably because he can recall the vents around the aneurysm so vividly. He still remembers Donna interrupting his meeting with the senior partners, telling him that Mike collapsed. He remembers rushing to the hospital and then having to wait for what seemed like forever to be told that Mike had to go into surgery for a ruptured aneurysm. And with that came even more waiting. He remembers Dr. Clarke telling him that brain damage was a likely possibility. He remembers sitting by Mike's bedside, waiting for him to wakeup. He remembers Mike finally waking up, and realizing that everything wasn't going to go back to the way it was before the aneurysm.

Harvey also remembers the good. He remembers when Mike first said his name without stuttering once. He remembers Mike finally being able to wash his hair, because it had gotten long for him to do so. He remembers the first time Mike tied his shoes. Harvey knows that today was a so-so day, but it was better than the day that he was told by Dr. Clarke that they didn't know if Mike was going to make it through the night. Mike will get the sleep he needs, and tomorrow he will continue to make great strides in his recovery.

Harvey gets up and pats Mike's head, running his hand gently over Mike's scar. "Good night, kid. I'll see later." Harvey goes toward the door and turns to Mike again. With one last look he leaves. After it all, it's just another day, and he needs to get up early tomorrow for a nine o'clock meeting with a client. He still has briefs to go over. He has to do it himself since he doesn't have an associate.

**Well, I hope you guys like! This story will be a collection of one-shots centering on Mike's recovery from a ruptured aneurysm. They will not be in chronological order. I already have some ideas for some chapters. Let me know what you guys will like to see. I'll see what I can do to try and accommodate your requests. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Suits. Dr Clarke, Lori, and Faith are all mine.**

**Notes: Thank you to those who reviewed, alerted, and favorited this story. I'm not a doctor, so I apologize for any medical inaccuracies. I also have a tendency to swear. I also don't have a beta, so please be gentle. Anyways, on with the story.**

**Chapter 2-November 30, 2011**

The whooshing of the ventilator, beeping of a heart monitor, and the intermittent inflating of a blood pressure cuff fills the air. Harvey is sitting guard next to Mike's bed, willing Mike to wake up. The ventilator obscures most of Harvey's view of Mike's face. But, what Harvey can see is striking. Mike's face is the palest that Harvey has ever seen it. The only thing whiter than Mike, is the bleached white sheets and the huge bandage covering Mike's head.

It's three in the morning, but Harvey can't sleep. He doesn't think that he can sleep, until Mike wakes up, moves a finger, twitch, do anything that gives him hope that he's going to be okay. Harvey's thoughts are interrupted by the footsteps of a nurse. Harvey thinks her name is Lori. He vaguely remembers her telling him her name when he first came into the ICU to see Mike. He was so concerned with seeing Mike that he didn't really pay attention to anything the nurse said, including what her name was.

He's right her name is Lori, as her name tag indicates. She goes over to Mike and looks at the monitors and records the readings. Her face doesn't tell Harvey anything, so he quietly asks, "How is he?"

"He's doing as well as can be expected," Lori replies.

Harvey is so tired of hearing these vague answers. He wants a straight answer damn it! "That's what Dr. Clarke said. I want to know the truth. I know nurses know more than the doctors do. So, give it to me straight. How _is he?" _Harvey asks again.

Lori knows she should just once again say that he's doing as well as can be expected, but she also knows that this is not going to satisfy Mr. Specter. Mr. Specter made it clear from the moment he arrived at the hospital that he wasn't going to take any bullshit when it comes to Mike Ross. Hence, why he's sitting in ICU, way past visiting hours have ended. Lori knew that she can be honest with Mr. Specter, even if the news were bleak. He seems like he can handle it, and didn't expect anything less than the truth. Lori goes on to say, "About 5% of the population develops an aneurysm sometime in their lifetime. Out of that five percent, only 20,000 actually experience a ruptured aneurysm."

"So, Mike is one of the rare cases. Great." Harvey says sarcastically. He knows that he's taking his frustration out on the closest person, and In this case it's Lori. He knows that it's not fair, but he's exhausted and is in desperate need of sleep. But, his need for sleep is being outweighed by his concern for Mike. He's powerless to do anything to help Mike. He hates that he has to rely on the medical profession to keep Mike alive. Damn it! Mike is his puppy. He should be the one making sure Mike's alright; he shouldn't have to rely on other people.

"Mr. Specter, being negative is not going to help Mr. Ross. He needs to be surrounded by cautious optimism. If you're going to be negative, then I think you should leave. He does not need to wakeup hearing such things from a friend. As I was going to say, even though Mike has suffered a ruptured aneurysm, he has some positive factors on his side. He's young and is overall in good health. He made it through surgery, that's a huge feat. Many who suffer from a ruptured brain aneurysm don't make it through surgery. He's already beaten many odds; you need to believe that he will continue to do so."

Lori's frankness and reassurance makes Harvey take a deep breath. She is right. Mike has beaten the odds in so many ways before, Harvey just has to believe that he will continue to do so. "Yes, he has. Sorry, I'm a little short with you. It's been a long, trying day as you could have guessed. Thanks for setting me straight, I do appreciate it." Harvey says.

"I can only imagine what you're going through. After being a nurse for almost fifteen years, I tend to be desensitized to some things. I see things differently than family members and friends of my patients. I know that I told you earlier, but you can go home and get some sleep. He's probably going to be unconscious for awhile."

Harvey's heard this before, but he can't bring himself to actually leave Mike. He looks to Lori with a kind smile, "I know. I just can't leave him yet. I'll leave in a little bit, I promise."

She takes this answer and replies, "I understand. If you need anything, just let me know." She leaves Mike's curtain area, and once again Harvey's alone with the sounds of the machines that are keeping Mike alive.

He must have dozed off because the next thing he knows his head jerks up in alarm. He frantically looks at Mike to see if everything is okay. Mike is still in deep unconsciousness. The ventilator and heart monitor are at the same pace as they were before Harvey fell asleep. If that's the case, then what the hell woke him up?

His question is quickly answered when he hears a quiet, "Ohhh, Mike." He looks to the end of Mike's bed and sees Donna standing there in a pair of jeans and a sweater.

"I thought I told you to go home. I was gonna call you in the morning." Harvey tells Donna.

"First of all, it is morning. Second, I thought the doctor told you to go home as well. Third, when do you ever tell me what to do?" Donna replies. "You couldn't stand to leave the kid alone, huh?"

Harvey shakes his head in confirmation. Mike has spent way too much time alone as of late. Mike's been dealing with the damn headache for a few days, alone. He collapsed in the bathroom alone. Rode in the ambulance alone, because the damn paramedics wouldn't let Harvey or Donna ride with him. He had to endure countless tests in the ER alone. After all that has happened, Harvey can't bear to leave Mike alone just again. To deflect the conversation away from himself he turns to Donna and questions, "what are you doing here?" Harvey looks at his watch, "It's nearly five in the morning."

"I couldn't sleep. I was too wound up to sleep after I left here." Harvey can contest to that, he just finally fell asleep himself a couple of hours ago. Donna didn't leave the hospital until after eleven, by the time she got home it was probably close to midnight. And the whole uncertainty of the situation made it difficult for anyone to get some sleep

Now that the niceties are out of the way, Donna moves closer to the Mike's head and takes a good look at Mike "God, Harvey. How the hell did this happen? This doesn't happen out of the blue. Where the hell were we when all this was going on? A freaken subarachnoid hemorrhage? Bleeding into the brain? I'm not a doctor but I know bleeding in the brain is not a good thing."

"Damn it, Donna, I know!" Harvey bites back. As soon as the words leave his mouth, Harvey feels instant regret. Too little sleep, gravity of the situation, and the loss of control has Harvey spinning off his axis. The glare that he's getting from Donna doesn't make matters better. Harvey runs his hand through his hair, "I'm sorry Donna. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just-"

"I know, Harvey. We're all feeling it."

"I know, but-"

"But, what?" Then Donna realizes what Harvey's problem is. It's not just the lack of sleep, and the fact that Mike just had surgery to stop the bleeding into his brain that was caused when the aneurysm ruptured. Nor is it, the fact that Harvey feels a sense of helplessness. Harvey's feeling something else. "Wait a second, don't tell me that you're blaming yourself for all of this." Donna says this as she's motioning with her hand around Mike's small ICU cubicle.

"Donna, how can I not. When he told me that he had a headache, I told him to suck it and pop a couple of Tylenol. When he started to puke, I told him to stay away from me, and I had him use hand sanitizer before he came into my office. When his damn eye was drooping, I accused him of having a damn drink during lunch."

Donna knew that she should stop Harvey to set him straight, but she also knows that Harvey needs to get this out. He can't hold on to what he is feeling. She waits until he's done.

"Are you done?" Donna asks Harvey.

"I think so."

"Good. Can I say something?" She asks

"Go ahead."

"I didn't mean to yell at you. I don't blame you or anyone else for this. I just can't get my head wrapped around it. I was venting about the unfairness of the situation. I know no one could have prevented this.""

"Easier said than done, Donna."

"I know that. The facts don't lie. This could not have been avoided. This is a rarity. Most brain aneurysms don't rupture. As awful as it may sound, Mike is one of the exceptions."

"A rare exception? How likely is that to happen?" Harvey asks.

Donna takes Harvey's hand into her own and says, "Probably as likely as it was to find a genius, college drop out with an eidetic memory, running from the cops on the very same day, in the very same hotel where you were interviewing prospective associates."

With that said Harvey smiles. "I guess you're right. Mike is an exception to almost every rule there is." Donna smiles at this. Harvey continues, "I guess that I have to keep reminding myself of this, and that Mike is going to come through this just fine."

"That's right, he is. We''e hee to help him along the way. Now get out of here. You're not going to do Mike any good if you drop dead from exhaustion when he does wake up."

"I don't want him to wakeup alone," Harvey admits.

"I know you don't. I rescheduled all of your appointments for today and tomorrow. You don't need to go to the office, and so by default neither do I. You go home, shower, and get some sleep. I'll stay here until you get back."

Harvey looks at Donna wearily. "Are you sure?"

"Completely. I don't want to see you back here for at least six hours. I'll call you if anything changes."

A nice, hot shower and his own bed does sound appealing. With Donna at Mike's bed side, he doesn't feel like he deserting Mike. Plus, he will be more productive if he's well rested. "Okay, then. I'm gonna go. Call me if anything, and I mean anything changes."

"Will do, Harvey. Now go. You look like crap. You would've scared Mike if he was to regain consciousness now."

Harvey can't help but laugh at Donna's comment, probably because it is 100% correct. If Mike was to regain consciousness at this very moment and see the state Harvey is he'll probably lapse back into unconsciousness out of shock. Harvey stands up from his chair by Mike's bed side and leans over the bed. He touches Mike's hand in a rare show of emotion, "I'm gonna go now, kid. Gotta catch up on some sleep. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone. I don't want to have to look for another associate. See you in a bit." Harvey goes to leave the ICU cubicle and turns back towards Mike. He closes his eyes for s a second, saying a quick prayer. _Please God, let him still be here when I get back. The kid is too damn young to die. _When Harvey is done with his quick prayer, he opens his eyes and leaves the ICU.

**I know a new chapter so soon, but it just came to me and I wanted to write it before I lost the momentum. The next update won't be as quick as this one but, I already have an idea for the next chapter. Don't forget to let me know what you would like to see in future chapters! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: No matter how much I wish, I still don't own Suits**

**Notes: There will be some swearing, so I apologize if it offends you. This chapter is lighter than the previous one. I hope you enjoy!**

**Ch.3-December 21, 2011**

"You really want to do this?" Harvey asks and stops before they enter Presbyterian Hospital.

Louis Litt rubs the back of his neck nervously. _Want to? _Not entirely. Louis can think of about a million other things that he would rather be doing on his lunch. He's not entirely thrilled with the prospect of going to a germ infested hospital to visit Harvey's golden boy associate. But, he is human after all, he does feel for the kid. To be stuck in the hospital for close to a month, with Christmas right around the corner, must be awful.

"Yes, Harvey, I'm sure. I want to do this. I even had Norma pick something up for us to eat for lunch."

Harvey is skeptical of Louis' new found urge to visit Mike. This would only be the second time sense Mike went into the hospital that Louis visited him. "Why are you even here? I know you hate the idea of coming in contact with germs. Plus, you've never been Mike's biggest fan. The last time you came, you nearly had a conniption when Mike was trying to eat his lunch, and was getting it everywhere."

How could Louis forget that? It was a little more than a week ago. Louis and Harvey had a client meeting near the hospital, so Harvey decided it would be nice to visit Mike. Louis didn't want to be rude, so he decided to tag along. He hadn't seen Mike sense he went into the hospital. Unfortunately, the pair came just in time for lunch. The doctors and therapists were evaluating Mike's fine motor skills. The occupational therapist had the brilliant idea of having Mike try to eat some spaghetti. It was a disaster to say the least. By the end of the meal, Mike was frustrated beyond relief, Harvey was upset, and Louis felt incredibly awkward.

Louis does not want a repeat of the spaghetti incident, so he asks, "He's good with finger foods, right? I got him a sandwich, with chips, and a soda."

"Yeah, he does okay with sandwiches." Harvey answers. They go into the hospital and head towards the elevator. Harvey turns to Louis, and says. "His motor skills are a bit better, but he's still struggling with his speech. The stuttering gets really bad when he's excited, nervous, or frustrated. Seeing you, might be a trigger. He gets really self-conscious about it, so if you think you're going to make a rude comment or something, leave before you do so. We finally got him talking and we don't need him to stop because you said something stupid that made him feel like crap." Once they're in the elevator, Harvey hits the button for Mike's floor.

A disbelieving look comes across Louis' face. Did Harvey think that he was a complete, insensitive jerk? He knew that the brain bleeding and loss of oxygen effected Mike's speech, along with other things.

Harvey must have noticed the look of disbelief on Louis' face because he quickly tries to rectify the situation. "I'm not saying that you would say anything mean to him on purpose, but I also know how you don't have the best social skills." Harvey stops for a second. He knows that Louis wouldn't be cruel to Mike on purpose, but Harvey has this unshakeable need to protect the kid these days. The kid could barely take care of himself, someone has to. "I just don't want him to get upset. When he gets upset, he can't focus on anything else, including his therapy." Harvey stops for a second and adds, "I need him back in tip top shape. I can't stand any of the other associates."

"Easy there, Harvey. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that you actually care about the kid."

As the elevator opens, the two walk out. Harvey looks at his phone and says, "Shut up, Louis. I have to call your wife so we can make dinner plans."

"For the millionth time-"The bantering between Harvey and Louis stops as they near Mike's room. They stop as one of the day nurses, named Danielle, leaves Mike's room.

"Oh, good. You're here."

"Hi, Danielle. How's Mike."

"Not too bad, except that we can't get him to eat his lunch. He barely touched his dinner last night, and he only had a nutritional shake for breakfast. He has to be starving."

"No offense, Danielle, but I wouldn't eat the stuff this place serves me either. But, good news. My pal Louis brought Mike a sandwich." Harvey gently taps Louis' shoulder. "Mike is more likely to eat a sandwich anyway."

"Good. Remember, what Dr. Tambori said. If we can't get Mike to eat-".

Harvey rubs the bridge of his nose. "I know Danielle, I got it covered. He'll eat his lunch," Harvey says quickly. Louis looks at Harvey, and then at the nurse wondering what she was going to say before Harvey cut her off.

"I know you will. Bye, Harvey and…Louis" Danielle leaves the pair in the hallway and makes her way down the hallway into another patient's room.

Louis' interest is peaked with what Danielle was about to say. He can't leave things alone, "what happens if you can't get Mike to eat?"

Harvey looks at Louis and then towards Mike's room. He's not really sure if he should be telling Louis personal things about Mike's recovery. But, if Mike doesn't start eating, Louis might see it himself.

He looks Louis in the eye and says, "If we can't get Mike to start eating regularly, they're going to have to put a feeding tube in."

Louis takes a deep breath. "Is it really that bad, Harvey?"

Harvey looks at Louis in astonishment. "Yes, Louis. It is that bad. The kid is making great progress, but eating is the biggest struggle. His appetite is completely different from before. Just finding foods that he actually likes and willing to eat is an accomplishment. And the physical act of eating is a struggle." Louis takes this all in, waiting for Harvey to say more. Harvey continues, "So, I need to get the kid to eat. Don't do anything stupid to make him feel like an invalid. When he gets upset, he clams up and getting him to eat becomes nearly impossible."

"Got it."

The two walk into Mike's room. Mike is sitting in a chair, reading a thick book. He's so engrossed in the book that he doesn't look up until Harvey interrupts him.

"Hey, kid. How're you doing?"

Mike looks up from his book, and smiles at Harvey. When Mike looks up, Louis can see how much weight Mike has loss sense he went into the hospital. The kid has always been thin, but now he looks fragile, sickly. Louis can see why both the nurse and Harvey are concerned about the associate's eating habits. When Mike notices that Harvey is not alone, a look of apprehension briefly passes over Mike's face.

"H-h-h-hi H-h-h-h-a-r-r." Mike stops for a second to think of what he's trying to say and tries again, "Hi, g—g-guys."

"I see you're reading that book I brought you on patent law. I wanted to refresh your memory on the subject sense Pearson Hardman just signed McGaven Industries. I'm going to need your help on this Mike, so study up."

Louis turns to Harvey in awe. Unbelievable, the kid is stuck in the hospital, recovering from a ruptured aneurysm, and Harvey has him doing work.

"You have him doing prep work for the McGaven contract? You're ridiculous, Harvey. The kid is in the hospital and you have him doing work. Kyle or Greg could do it."

Harvey stops Louis' tirade, "I wanted Mike to do it, not those two brownnosers. Besides, Mike wanted to help." Harvey's few words said little, but the look that Harvey gave Louis spoke volumes. _Mike wanted to do it, give the kid a sense of normalcy. Let him realize that he's not damaged goods. He's still one of the brightest associates at Pearson Hardman, brain injury and all._

"Enough about work. Mike, Louis brought you lunch. And you're going to eat it. I got you cookies, but you only get them if you eat some lunch."

Mike tries to reason, "I'm n-n-not h-u-un-g-g-ry."

"Cut the bullshit, Mike. I talked to Danielle before we came in. She said that you barely touched your dinner last night, and only had a shake for breakfast. Like I said, you get cookies, if you eat some lunch." Harvey looks at Louis, "what did you get him?"

"Turkey sandwich, chips, and a Pepsi."

"H—h-ow m-m-m-uch?"

"You're trying to bargain with me?" Harvey says incredulously. Louis thinks that Harvey's aggravated with Mike's attempted manipulation, but then Harvey says with a sly smile, "Nice work, pup. I see that you really are watching what I do. I say half a sandwich and ten chips."

Mike's lack of response means that he's clearly thinking about the negotiation. About a minute later he says, "s-s-s-ounds f-f-air."

Louis takes this as permission to proceed and takes out Mike's lunch, and places it on the table. He also takes out his and Harvey's lunch, as well. As he takes a bite out of his own salad, he sees that Mike has not even moved towards his food. Mike looks at Harvey. Louis doesn't know what the look means, but Harvey clearly does. "Jesus, Louis. Give the kid a hand."

Before Louis can ask Harvey what he means by that, Harvey quickly and efficiently opens the can of soda, unwraps a straw, and places the can of soda in Mike's hand. As Mike's is taking a sip of soda, Harvey opens the bag of potato chips and shakes some on to a napkin that's on the table. When Mike appears to be done with his soda for the moment, he hands it back to Harvey, his hand shaking noticeably. Harvey in turns gives Mike the now unwrapped sandwich and places it in Mike's hand. His hand is under Mike's to give him the extra support he needs as he brings the sandwich to his mouth. Mike takes a bite of the sandwich and a horrified look passes over Mike's face.

A look of concern is evident on Harvey's face. "What is it, Mike? What's wrong?" No sooner does Harvey voice his concern, does a piece of sandwich comes flying out of Mike's mouth and towards Louis' direction. Louis looks on in shock to see a piece of half eaten sandwich make contact with his very expensive, black, silk tie.

"What the hell, Mike!" Louis exclaims. His disgust is clearly evident. His face is scrunched up in distaste. He looks around frantically for a napkin to clean the mess that's on his tie.

Then a deep laughter fills the room. Harvey is laughing so hard that Louis doesn't know how he can still be breathing. "Glad to see you think your associate ruining my clothing is a joking matter."

"Oh, Louis. Anything funny that happens at your expense is a laughing matter." Harvey quickly changes gears when he turns to Mike, "what happened? It's a turkey sandwich. You like turkey." Harvey's a little nervous. Turkey is one of the few things that Mike will eat, Harvey prays that Mike hasn't developed a sudden distaste of turkey.

Mike shakes his head no. _Please no, don't tell me we need to find something else for him to eat, _Harvey thinks. The Mike says, "It's s-s-s—spicy."

Harvey sighs in relief. "Louis, you got spicy mustard on his sandwich?" Harvey questions.

"Yeah, Mike always gets that spicy mustard on his sandwich."

Harvey shakes his head, "Not any more. Louis. He can't stand spicy foods. No buffalo wings, spicy mustard, or chili." Harvey looks to Mike for confirmation.  
>"No s-s-spicy." Mike reiterates.<p>

Realizing that the situation isn't as grim as he originally feared, Harvey starts laughing again. He takes out his phone and takes a picture of Louis' tie that still had some remnants of Mike's half eaten turkey sandwich on it. After taking the picture, Harvey goes into his brief case and takes out the cookies that he brought. "Here you go, rookie. After that entertainment, I'll let you have three cookies." Mike looks at him quizzically. "Don't worry, they're not the oatmeal ones. They're the sugar ones that Donna makes. You like them." Mike grabs a cookie from Harvey's outstretched hand.

Louis looks on in astonishment. Harvey's laughing, and Mike is smiling. Harvey doesn't laugh that much anymore, not sense Mike suffered the ruptured aneurysm. The days following Mike's admission to the hospital were hell for anyone who worked at Pearson Hardman. Everyone was walking on eggshells around Harvey, who was snippy with everyone. His concern for Mike was evident to everyone, even if it wasn't to Harvey himself. Everyone was afraid to say anything that might send Harvey over the edge. Donna and Jessica were the only ones who were able to handle Harvey's cantankerous mood. Louis realized that if Mike can smile after all he's been through, then Louis can deal with a ruined tie. "You owe me a new tie, Harvey. That is the least you own me for not telling me about Mike's new aversion to spicy foods."

"Sure thing. I'll have your wife pick one up after she leaves my place tonight."

"I don't have a wife."

"I know you don't, but it's still funny." Louis is about to say something, but then he sees that Mike is still smiling. He can deal with Harvey's jabs, it could be worse. It's just another day of working with Harvey Specter, the city's best closer.

**I hope you guys like this chapter. I had to put some Louis in there. Let me know what you want to see **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Suits.**

**Notes: I absolutely love the character of Donna, so it felt only natural to have a chapter focusing mostly on her. I hope I do her character justice with this chapter. I don't believe that Suits mentioned when Donna's birthday is, so I took the liberty to give her one. Thank you for all the kind reviews. As cliché as it sounds, it's those reviews that pushes me to keep writing. Enough of that, on with the story!**

** Chapter 4-February 22, 2012 **

"Excuse me, are you Donna?" Donna looks up from her computer to see where the interruption is coming from. Right in front of her desk, is a delivery man, holding a huge bouquet of flowers.

Donna gets up from her chair and eagerly walks to where the delivery man is standing. Donna grabs the flowers in excitement. "They're gorgeous. Harvey sure did out do himself this year! Then again, I did pick out the flowers and told Leoni's what to send when Harvey called to place the order." The delivery man shake his head with a smile, and leaves. Donna places the flowers on a spot on her desk so that everyone could see.

Two hours later and Donna is still hard at work. She's so busy scheduling Harvey's meetings, checking in with Mike's grandmother, and manning the desk, that Donna doesn't even notice the second delivery man coming up to her desk until he say,. "Excuse me, miss."

"Miss? That sounds wonderful, especially sense today is my birthday. How can I help you?"

"It's your birthday, does that mean you're Donna?" The delivery man asks.

"Yes, I am." Once again Donna excitedly takes the flowers from the delivery man, "Daisies, my favorite!" She quickly thanks the delivery man, and he leaves. Donna then places them next to the flowers that she had gotten earlier. _Wait a second, another bouquet. Harvey always sends me flowers for my birthday. Who sent me the other bouquet? _Donna opens the card that came with the flowers she received earlier, as predicted the card said that they were from Harvey. Donna then opens the card that was sent with the flowers that she just received. As she reads the note, tears come to her eyes.

_Donna, I hope you have a wonderful birthday. You deserve it for putting up with Harvey. Thanks for all you have done to help me over the past couple of months, it means the world to me. You're a life saver. Happy Birthday! -Mike_

As Donna finishes reading Mike's card, Harvey walks by Donna's desk, Donna quickly drops the card onto her desk, "Are you crying? Please tell me you got my flowers. I placed the order myself."

"I got them, thanks, Harvey."

"Then, why are you crying?"

"Mike sent me flowers. Daisies, my favorite. Poor kid is stuck in that place, and he manages to do something nice for me on my birthday. He's a good one, Harvey."

"He is Donna, I know. That would explain the Spanish Inquisition I received last week when I saw him_. Donna's Birthday's coming up, isn't it? What does she like? Flowers or chocolates? Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? What kind of flowers? _I just thought that the kid was talkative because I brought him a coffee, and the caffeine was kicking in."Harvey then switches back to professional mode. "Did you schedule that meeting with Lechinski yet?"

"You're all set. He's coming in for Friday, at four."

Harvey looks at Donna quizzically. He always visits Mike on Friday evenings. It's a routine, and Mike's whole life is a routine these days. Any change throws the kid through a loop. If the meeting isn't until four, he probably won't get out until close to six. By the time Harvey leaves the office, and gets to Pine View it's going to be close to seven.

Donna seems to read Harvey's mind because she adds, "Don't worry. I told Lechinski that you have a prior commitment and need to be out by five."

"What did you tell him? Lechinski can be an ass. How did he take the news?"

"He was a little aggravated about it. But, then I told him that you visit Mike on Friday's and he understood. And more importantly, you gave the kid coffee? Harvey, you know what the doctor said, no coffee."

"Relax, Donna. The coffee was black, and there wasn't any sugar in it. The kid has been doing so well, I had to give him something. All he eats is freaken sweets. I had to give him something different, or he's gonna rot his teeth out." Harvey quickly changes the subject, "Lechinski knows about Mike?"

"Harvey, almost all your clients that met Mike know about what happened." Harvey isn't sure he likes the idea that his associate's personal business is out in the open. Only people who really know Mike should be privy to that sort of information. "Harvey, don't worry. Lechinkski was fine with it. He likes Mike, as do most of your clients." Donna's phone rings, and she answers it. When she hangs up, she turns to Harvey, "Gotta go see Norma. Louis is having some sort of issue." Donna stands up to leaves.

"When isn't he?" Harvey snickers.

"Very true." Donna says, as she turns and makes her way towards Louis' office.

With Donna out of sight, Harvey grabs the discarded card that she dropped on her desk. He picks it up and reads it silently, "Good job, pup."

**.Suits**

**February 23, 2012**

"There he is!" Donna says cheerfully from the doorway to Mike's room.

Mike looks up from the book that he's currently reading, "where. else. would. I. be." Mike quips.

The lack of stuttering tells Donna that Mike is having a good day. Even though he has to stop and take his time with what he says, his speech is ten times better than when he first woke up after the "incident" as almost everyone calls is.

Donna glides further into Mike's room and places the pile of books that she got him on the table that he's sitting at. The one thing that was not affected by the ruptured aneurysm was Mike's ability to read and soak up knowledge. It's their one saving grace. After three months of being away from home and Pearson Hardman has Mike bouncing off the walls. If it wasn't for his love of reading, Donna is sure that they would have had several; escape attempts on their hands by this point. "I don't know how you can read that for fun," Donna says as she looks at the copy of Paradise Lost that Mike put down when Donna came in. "I hated reading it for school."

Mike answers her inquiry by scratching his head, causing the ever present baseball cap to fall off. Donna gently rubs her hand over Mike's head, carefully avoiding the scar that's on Mike's head. Mike hates it when anyone touches the scar, he doesn't need a reminder of the thing that changed his life. Nor, does he want or need the pity of people who see the scar.

Donna is combing Mike's hair with her fingers. "Your hair is getting long. I think it's time for you to get a haircut. I'll schedule one for you. Maybe we can grab some lunch and see your grandmother after. That way you can get out of here for a bit. I know you're getting cabin fever. Harvey told me that you asked if you could work on the Romlinson briefs. I know you must be going stir crazy, if you offered to do briefs" Donna stops and thinks for a moment, as strange as it sounds, scheduling a haircut for Mike is a milestone. It would be his first one sense the surgeries. To think that the hair that had to be shaved for the surgery, and then the resulting recovery, was long enough to need a haircut, brings a smile to Donna's face. Mike sure did come a long way sense those scary days back in the late fall.

"I'll like that," Mike says.

"Good, I'll schedule it tomorrow. Now, to the most important thing." Donna reaches down and gives Mike a huge, heartfelt hug.

Mike is a little taken aback by the action. "For what?" He asks.

"The beautiful daisies you sent me for my birthday. You didn't have to do that."

"I know that I didn't have to, I wanted to say thank you for everything you've done for me." Mike shoots those puppy dog eyes at her, and Donna feels the tears form in her eyes.

"Don't you dare make me cry, Michael! I'll sink Harvey on you." Mike laughs at Donna's comment, making the mood in the room a little lighter. Donna turns to the bag of food she brought, "I brought us dinner from that restaurant you like." Donna takes out the food containers and places Mike's meal of grilled chicken, asparagus, and mashed potatoes in front of him.

"I still don't know how you like asparagus, but won't eat simple vegetables like corn or green beans." Donna states.

Mike frowns, he doesn't really know either. All he knows is that after he woke up his appetite is quite different from the one of old. He picks up the spoon and scoops some potatoes on them. Donna smiles, it's so good to actually see the kid eating on his own accord, without someone threatening him. He picks up his knife, and attempts to cut his chicken. Mike's hand is shaking noticeably. The knife is sliding across the plate, making a ghastly scraping sound. It sounds like nails on a chalkboard. Donna watches Mike out of the corner of her eye, as she takes a bite of her grilled salmon. She wants to help Mike, but she knows by now that she needs to wait until he asks. She's been a witness to at least one of his angry outbursts, and heard of several others, where Mike had a meltdown because someone took it upon themselves to do something for Mike, without waiting for him to ask,

Several minutes and annoyed sighs later, Mike gives up. He looks up from his plate and says, "Donna. Can. You. Cut. My. Chicken. Please?" Donna knows that sense Mike's question is choppy, he's frustrated. When Mike's stutters, he's having a really bad day. When he uses choppy sentences, he has to really think about what he's trying to say. It also means that's he's on the verge of having a bad day. Donna has to act fast or this happy visit is going to go downhill fast. "No problem, kid." Donna quickly leans over the table, grabs Mike's plate, and cuts the chicken into small pieces.

Mike looks at Donna gratefully, "Thanks, Donna. You're the best." Mike says those words in a clear, fluid sentence. No choppy words. Donna smiles, it looks like a potential crisis has been averted. Donna finishes her whole meal. Mike eats two sprigs of asparagus, four spoonfuls of potatoes, and about a third of the chicken breast. It's not the biggest meal, but at least he ate some.

Once dinner is done, Donna takes out the blu ray she brought. Mike looks at it, "You brought _The Incredibles?"_

At first Donna thinks Mike is going to have a smartass comment about the animated movie. "Well, you've seen every movie that has been made during the twentieth century. I had to go to the cartoons."

Mike looks at Donna, "I wasn't bashing it. I wanted to see it, but never got the chance."

Donna smiles, "Then it's your lucky day. Get the movie going, and I'm gonna pop some popcorn." Donna leaves Mike's room, and heads to the common room to use the microwave. As she's waiting for the popcorn to finish popping, Becky walks in and grabs a soda from the fridge.

"Hi, Donna."

"Oh, hi, Becky. How are you?"

"Good. I see you're making popcorn."

Donna gets nervous for a second, "Is that ok? I don't know if he's going to eat it, but I figured it's worth a try."

"No, it's fine. Did you bring something for dinner?"

"Yeah. He ate some, not that much. But, at this point I take it as a victory if I don't need to threaten him to eat."

Becky shakes her head, "You're right about that. We definitely need to get him to eat more, so any little bit counts."

The timer for the microwave beeps, and Donna takes out the bag of popcorn. "I'll see what I can do. I better get going, I have a movie date to get to." The two ladies laugh, and Donna makes her way back to Mike's room. When she reaches Mike's room, she sees Mike standing there with the blu ray player emote in his hand. She goes to stand near Mike and sees that the movie is in, but the tv is showing the menu screen. Mike has the remote in his hand, but is struggling to put his finger on the tiny button that says "play". Donna says in her mind, _Come on kid, you got it. Take your time._ Donna's unspoken encouragement must have worked, because the next second the menu fades and the movie begins to play. Donna takes a deep breath. Donna goes to sit down on the couch, and kicks her shoes off. Mike gets on his bed and leans back. "You made popcorn? Can I have some?"

Donna is happy to hear Mike ask for some and hands him the bag. "Sure thing kid, help yourself." Mike smiles, and grabs a handful of popcorn.

"This is good." Mike says, smiling.

A huge smile spreads across Donna's face. It is good. Mike eating is good. Mike talking is good. And the night itself is good. Donna looks at Mike and says, "Yes, it is. It's real good." Their happy faces turn towards the television as the movie plays.

**I hope you guys like this chapter. I wanted some quality Donna and Mike time, so voila:)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: As much I wish I did, I still don't own Suits**

**Notes: This chapter is more of sick Mike, than hurt Mike. But the comfort will still be there. Also, I'm not a doctor so I apologize if any medical information is inaccurate. On to the story.**

**Chapter 5-March 12, 2012**

It's only eleven in the morning, but Harvey feels like it should be much later in the day. He's been crazy at work, between Romlinson's hostile takeover, getting Conrad Murphy out of a wrongful dismissal case, and McGaven having issues with his potential partners, Harvey has not had room to breathe in the last week or so. It's a lot of work for only one person to handle, but Harvey likes to work alone. More importantly, he can't bear to look for another associate. Harvey feels like that will be a slap in Mike's face. Harvey's promised Mike that once Mike's ready his job at Pearson Hardman will be there for him, even if it's on a limited basis. Until then, Harvey will just have to push through it.

"Harvey?" Donna calls over the intercom.

"Not now, Donna. I have to get ready for my meeting with Romlinson. It's in an hour," Harvey says tersely.

"I know your schedule, Harvey. I'm the one who schedules your appointments. Becky's on the phone."

Harvey stops reading the paper that is he's looking over, guilt crashes over Harvey. He's been so busy with work that he hasn't seen Mike in almost a week. He even missed his usual Friday visit. He barely had time to call Mike. he talked to him once, barely said a word, and was quick to get off the phone. The kid must be really pissed at him. Now, Becky's on the phone. She's going to probably try and make Harvey feel guilty. Harvey doesn't think that's possible, he already feels like shit, but he has to get this work done, or he's won't be seeing Mike any time soon. "Tell her, to give a message to Mike. Have her tell him that I'm sorry I didn't stop by on Friday or the weekend. But, I'll try and get there tonight." Harvey looks at the huge pile of work that's on his desk, and changes his response, "scratch that, I'll stop by tomorrow."

"Harvey, you haven't seen him since Wed-"Donna says.

Before Donna can finish, Harvey cuts her off, "Donna, I know that I haven't seen him since Wednesday. Just have her give him the message. The longer I'm kept away from this pile of work, the longer it will take to get it done. And the longer it will be before I can see him."

"Fine, Oscar. I'll give Becky the message."

As Donna relays Harvey's message, Harvey gets back to work. Not even a minute later, he's interrupted again. "Harvey, I think-"

"Donna, I have to get this work done."

"I know Harvey, but Becky says it's an emergency. She wants to talk to you."

His concerns about work are momentarily placed on the back burner, when Harvey hears the words, _it's an emergency. _The last that Harvey heard these words in conjunction with his associate, via phone call, was when one of Mike's ICU nurses called him in the middle of the night, telling Harvey that they would have to go back into surgery because Mike developed a second bleed. Harvey takes a deep breath, "Patch her through, Donna."

Seconds later, Harvey picks up the phone. "Hi Beck, what's going on?"

"Hi Harvey, I'm sorry for being so incessant, but I had to be."

"What is it? What happened?"

"Mike's sick."

Harvey sighs in relief. As much as it sucked, Mike now gets sick a lot ever since the brain aneurysm ruptured. He still gets pretty bad headaches, sometimes to the point where he throws up. When he's sick he's absolutely miserable, and the only thing that brings him comfort is a calming touch, and a dose of heavy duty pain meds.

"I'll have Donna stop by during lunch. She's always good with him when he gets one of his headaches."

"Harvey, it's not a headache."

Harvey's once again on high alert, "then what is it?"

"He's contracted pneumonia. In most cases it would have cleared up easily, but because of his irregular eating and sleeping habits, his immune system is having one hell of a time battling it."

"When did this start?" Harvey asks. As he asks this he faintly remembers Mike coughing on Wednesday when he stopped by or lunch, it wasn't bad though.

"He's been coughing for awhile, but it really flared up on Friday. He's been fighting it all weekend. He's on antibiotics, but they're not working like we wished they would. He's miserable. He's out of it, and is asking where you are."

The knife of guilt just digs in deeper, _he's asking where you are. _Harvey takes a deep breath, his puppy has that effect on him. "I have a meeting at noon. But, I promise that I will be over as soon as it's done."

"Thanks, Harvey. It'll mean a lot to him."

"Yeah, bye, Becky." Harvey hangs up, and sighs. _It'll mean a lot to him. _Damn kid's sick, and he wants to see him. Harvey didn't think that he could feel any worse about not seeing Mike, he was wrong. Now he feels a whole lot worse.

**.SUITS**

"Donna, I'm here. You cancelled the rest of my day for me?" Harvey waves Ray off, and Harvey walks into Pine View. He takes the path that he knows by heart to elevator.

"_You have nothing for the rest of the day. Let me know how he is, Harvey. I'll try and stop by tonight after work."_

"Will do. Bye, Donna." Harvey hangs up and makes his way towards Mike's room. He walks by the nurses' station. Before he can even ask for Becky, he hears, "Harvey! Good you're here."

Harvey turns around and sees Becky, "Hi, Becky. I came as soon as my meeting ended. How's he doing?" The two start walking from the nurses' station towards Mike's room.

Becky stops walking for a second, and looks at Harvey. "Not too hot. He spiked a fever of 103 this morning, and it hasn't come down. Despite the antibiotics and Tylenol we're giving him. He's having some problems breathing, so we have him on a nasal cannula. He's restless, can't sleep. Dr. Jamison and I are hoping that once he rests, the antibiotics can take effect. That's why I called. When he gets like this, you are usually the only one that can get through to him."

Harvey knows this. He remembers all too well all those times when he had to calm Mike down. He remembers being woken up at three in the morning by a phone call from a nurse, saying that Mike had a nightmare and was on the verge of hyperventilating. He remembers coming into Mike's room, seeing the kid's frustration on his face, and the remnants of a lunch thrown across the floor of his room. So upset, that he wouldn't let anyone near him to try and comfort him, well except Harvey that is.

"Yeah, Becky. I know." They continue walking to Mike's room. Harvey goes in, and before Becky continues on her way, she says. "Remember, try and get him to rest. Call me if you need anything. I'll be in a bit to check his temp, and vitals." Harvey shakes his head in understanding, and heads into Mike's room.

The sound of jeopardy playing over the television, is easily drowned out by Mike's shallow, wheezing breathes. _Damn, I didn't think it was this bad._ Harvey walks closer to Mike's bed. Mike is cocooned in a hoodie and a blanket. He's in the fetal position. He anxiously shifts around, trying to find a comfortable position. Despite the layers of clothing he's wearing, Mike still can't get warm. His teeth are chattering. The kid is so out of it that he doesn't even notice that Harvey's in the room.

"Jesus, kid. I leave you alone for five days, and you catch a case of the plague."

The words must have penetrated Mike's fevered state, because two glassy, fever bright eyes look at Harvey. The combination of Mike's glassy eyes, and the dark blue bags under them serve as a non literal slap in Harvey's face as to how sick Mike is. "Har…vey, you….ca…me?" Mike's voice is scratchy, it's probably as dry as the Sahara. The fever is probably sapping out all the fluid in the kid's body.

Harvey moves toward the table and the pitcher that's on it. He pours some water into a cup, and walks over to Mike, "You sound and look like shit. Here, drink this. We don't need you to get dehydrated on top of the pneumonia." Mike's shaking hand reaches for the cup. Afraid that Mike is going to spill the water all over himself, Harvey allows Mike to take the cup out of his hand, but Harvey keeps his hands on the cup to give Mike extra support. As Harvey helps bring the cup to Mike's lips, the sleeve of Mike's sweatshirt rides up, giving Harvey view of the IV that is running into Mike's elbow.

Harvey closes his eyes for a second as Mike drinks desperately from the cup. He thought that they were done with the IV's. Mike hasn't had an IV for close to a month now. Now, that all changed. He feels like Mike has taken a step back. Harvey can't believe that he didn't see the IV until now, it's clearly visible. It's right near the head of Mike's bed. He's probably so desensitized to seeing one, that he didn't even notice it's reappearance to Mike's room.

Mike stops drinking when he starts coughing, and stares at Harvey, "Th…ank y…ou."

Harvey takes the cup and places it back on the table. He runs his eyes over the familiar sight of the intravenous line running up the length of Mike's arm. "I thought you were done with these."

A series of chills rack Mike's body, "a-a-a set-setback. " Mike says with a medicated smile. The smile doesn't last long because Mike starts a coughing fit.

"Easy there, pup. Let's get you propped up." Harvey helps Mike to sit up, with his back against the headboard. Once Mike is settled into a more comfortable position, his breathing not so much of a chore, Harvey admonishes, and "Little setback? You call catching pneumonia, receiving antibiotics intravenously, and running a fever of 103, a little setback?"

"It co…uld be... wor….se"

"Could be worse? How so?" Then Harvey stops himself. In the case of Mike, it could be a lot worse. The kid could have died back in December, and not been around to even catch the pneumonia. "I guess in your case, you're right. It could be worse."

Mike is sporting a goofy smile. The smiles resembles the ones what Mike used to have across his face after he did or thought of something that helped Harvey win a big case. Harvey can't help it, but a half-smile spreads across his face as well.

"Ad…mit it y…ou so-so-so ." Mike says triumphantly.

"I better call Becky to take your temp. I think you're hallucinating."

Mike starts laughing hysterically, "you so-so-so care." His laughing quickly turns into a coughing episode that leaves him breathless.

Harvey puts his arm around Mike's shoulders, causing him to sit up straighter. Mike's coughing stops, and Harvey gently wipes his hand across Mike's forehead, and feels the line of sweat that's there. Harvey removes himself from Mike's bedside and makes his way to the sink. He comes back with a wet compress. He gently places it on Mike's burning forehead, "Here you go, rookie. Relax."

"A…re you. ?" Mike looks at Harvey, with his puppy dog eyes.

"Not a chance kid. I heard how you were refusing to sleep. So they had to call the big dogs in. I was summoned to make sure that you were behaving yourself. We all know how miserable you get when you don't sleep, and the staff here doesn't get paid enough to deal with you when you're miserable."

"I'm-m-m s-sorry. I j-just don't-t-t like be-e-eing by mys-s-s-elf when I'm-m-m s-s-s-ick."

Harvey notices that Mike's stuttering is pretty prevalent today. It's just another sign of how tired the kid is. Harvey needs to get the kid to relax and fall asleep. That way he can get the rest he needs, and recover from this little detour in his recovery.

"I know you don't kid. Don't worry, I'm here. I'm not leaving." Harvey sits in the chair by Mike's bed, and puts his hand on Mike's arm. Harvey's verbal as well as physical reassurances seem to do the trick. He can already see Mike's shallow breathing start to even out, signaling that Mike is relaxing. Content that Mike knows that he will still be there when he wakes up, Harvey removes his hand from Mike's arm. Harvey opens his briefcase, and takes out the papers that he needs to look over. Looking at Mike resting one more time, Harvey gets to work. It's going to be a long night.

**.SUITS**

**March 13, 2012**

Harvey jerks himself awake. As he rushes to sit up, the blanket that was draped over him falls to the floor He looks around for the papers that he was looking over last night, and sees that they are on the table. Harvey tries to rub the sleep out of his eyes. _Wait a second. I don't remember putting them there? Who put this blanket over me? _

"I can't wait to show people this picture." Harvey's now fully awake. He turns in alarm to see Donna in Mike's room, her phone is still in clear view. Her intentions are clear, and Harvey needs to rectify the situation…fast. Sure, after everything that has happened to Mike everyone at Pearson Hardman knows that Harvey does care for the kid. But, Harvey does not need physical proof of this to be used to someone's advantage. If Donna shows anyone that picture, he's toast.

"What do I need to do, to make sure that the picture is deleted?" Harvey asks.

"First, this picture will never be deleted. It's physical proof that you do care, and are human. Stuff like this is not easy to come by. I'm going to use it to my full advantage." Donna says with a devilish smile.

"Fine, for the time being, what will it cost me?"

"I need a three day weekend in a couple of weeks. I'm having a spa weekend with the girls, and want to fully enjoy it."

The terms don't sound too bad, and Donna does have him right where she wants him. "Ok, I can do."

"Good, you had no choice." Donna moves closer to Mike's bed, and takes a look at the young associate. It's testament to how exhausted the kid is, he didn't even twitch when Donna and Harvey were having their negotiation. "How is he?" Donna whispers, as she runs her hand over his cheek.

"Fever was holding steady at 103 last night when the nurses last checked on him."

"Poor kid can't catch a break." Donna turns back to Harvey. "And how are you doing?"

Harvey looks at Donna with raised eyebrows, "Me? I'm not the one sick with pneumonia, getting oxygen through a damn tube."

"No, you're not. But, I know you. I know you feel guilty. He was sick all weekend, and you didn't even know because you were so hectic with work." Harvey doesn't say anything, "I saw the way you literally ran out of the office when you were done with the Romlinson meeting. And you slept here. For the whole night. The last time you slept in Mike's room the whole night was-"Donna couldn't finish what she was going to say. Harvey remembers the last time he slept in Mike's room for the whole night was when they weren't sure if Mike was going to make it through the night.

Before Harvey or Donna could continue, Gina, one of Mike's nurses, walks into the room. "Hey guys, I'm just going to check Mike's vitals. Harvey, did you sleep well? I brought you that blanket. I tried waking you up, but you were out like a light."

"I slept fine. Thanks for the blanket, Gina. How is he?"

Just as Gina finishes taking Mike's pulse, the thermometer beeps. Gina looks at it, and smiles. "It's down to 100.3. I think we may be out of the woods."

"Oh, thank God!" Donna squeals. Donna's squeal is quickly joined by Harvey smiling.

The happy noses seem to have done the unfathomable, as Mike's head turns from side to side. He slowly opens his eyes, and Harvey's happy to see that they are not as glassy as they were yesterday.

"Dang it, puppy. Don't you do that again?" Donna chides.

Mike tiredly looks at her, and whispers, "It's j-just a lit-tle setb-back." Harvey laughs again, and Mike smiles. Mike's exhaustion is clearly evident by the way he keeps trying to blink the sleepiness out of his eyes.

"Relax, rookie. Go back to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up." Ever the obedient puppy, Mike drifts back to sleep, leaving Donna and Harvey sitting by his beside. Mike's sleep is once again a restful sleep, confident that Harvey will be there when he wakes up. Just as he's been there throughout his recovery.

With Mike as sleeps, Donna turns to Harvey, "He's going to be okay."

"I know he is."

**I hope you guys liked it. A little guilty Harvey, but it all worked out at the end! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Suits.**

**Notes: I'm back. Sorry, it took so long to update. RL snuck up on me and I've been nuts with my two jobs and going to school. Enough of that. When I asked for suggestions for what people wanted to see in this fic, someone said that that they would like to see a Harvey freak out chapter. So, voila. Here it is! Oh, and the italics signal a flashback.**

**Chapter-6 November 30, 2011**

The cool, November air wakes up Harvey from the daze he's been in as he leaves the hospital. It's too late to call Ray. He told him to go home earlier when he got the okay to stay with Mike. Harvey hails a cab and quickly gets into it. He faintly remembers telling the cab driver his address.

As the cab driver drives down the quiet streets of New York City in the wee hours of the morning, Harvey's looking out the car window. As the scenery passes before him, he sees a bike chained in front of a store window. As the cab drives pass the bike, Harvey can't help but think of Mike. Mike always rides his bike everywhere. What if he was riding his bike when the aneurysm ruptured? If Mike was on the bike when he collapsed he could have fallen into traffic and gotten hit by a car. If the ruptured aneurysm didn't kill him, getting hit by a car could have.

Harvey's mind must have wondered for longer than he thought, because the next thing he knew he's in front of his building. Harvey got out of the cab and pays the driver. He then makes his way towards his place solely on autopilot.

Harvey opens his door and walks into his place. Harvey moves into the living room, and all but collapses onto his couch. He rubs his chin, it has been one hell of a day. It's hard to believe that when he left here at 7:30 in the morning, everything was fine. Now, not even 24 hours later, so much has changed. When he left his place the previous morning, he kissed his date for the night good bye and headed to Pearson Hardman for another day in the office. Harvey remembers looking for Mike when he first entered Pearson Hardman, and not finding him. When he asked Donna if she knew where Mike was, Donna reminded Harvey that it wasn't her job to watch the puppy, but did tell Harvey that she saw Mike half an hour earlier when he asked her for some Tylenol.

Harvey may not have Mike's eidetic memory, but he can't help but recall the events of the last twenty four hours, repeatedly. Harvey knows that the old saying that "hindsight is always 20/20" is true. But, with everything that's going on Mike, it's a tough pill to swallow. Mike swallowing Tylenol like jelly beans. Mike squinting. Mike putting his head down on his desk when he thought no one was looking. At the time they all seemed like things. But, in the end they proved to be something much greater.

In a fit of frustration and pure exhaustion Harvey sweeps the pile of magazines that have been previously on his coffee table onto the floor. Letting off some steam from the frustration he feels, makes him feel better, even though it's only a miniscule amount of what he's really feeling. He knows that he has to get himself under control. Dr. Clarke said that Mike may have a long recovery ahead of him. Harvey can't keep losing it, if he's going o be any help to the kid. Lori and Donna have already felt the wrath of Harvey over the last twelve hours or so. Harvey knows that it's not fair to them, but they were the ones around.

If it wasn't so late, Harvey would go to the gym to let some steam off. Not only is it late, but he's also incredibly exhausted. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to go when he's this tired. He'd probably fall asleep standing up in his elevator. Harvey leans forward and places his head in his hands. As soon as his head comes in contact with his hands, he sits up. All he can smell is hospital disinfectant. The rationale part of his brain tells him that he does not actually smell hospital, but the other part of his brain is telling him he is. Maybe a hot shower will do him good, help relax his tense muscles. And maybe taking a shower will get the smell of hospital off of him.

His mind made up, Harvey heads to the master bath. He runs the shower head on hit and full blast. As he steps into the shower, he stays under the shower head for a couple of minutes, letting the hot streams of water ease the tension in his back. Harvey closes his eyes because the water is relaxing,

After a half an hour, Harvey is feeling more relaxed. The most relaxed he felt since seeing Mike, lying unconsciousness on the floor of a bathroom at Pearson Hardman. Harvey turns off the shower, and grabs a towel. As he goes to step out of the shower his exhausted body almost trips over the shower mat. He rights himself before he falls face forward, and in an instant Harvey's calmness disappears. His mind flashes to Mike, once again. What if the kid was in the shower when he collapsed? If Mike did the same thing this morning, wait that was yesterday morning, Mike could have been lying unconscious, dying on his bathroom floor. The kid would be laying unconsciousness and dying for God knows how long until Harvey or someone else at Pearson Hardman figured out that something was amiss, that Mike was later than usual. Harvey once again shakes his head, hoping that will cause the thought to leave his brain.

Now dressed in more comfortable clothes, Harvey makes his way to his bed. Even though he's exhausted, he still doesn't think that he can sleep. His mind is still going 200 miles an hour. Reading briefs always seem to do the trick, they usually put him to sleep. Maybe that will work. Besides, with Mike out for God knows how long, he's going …Harvey stops himself, he needs to read these. Reading these will equal sleep, and for him sleep always put things in a better light when he wakes up.

Harvey reads. He reads the Patterson briefs for the upcoming merger. With those done, he looks up and sees that it's getting lighter out. He looks at the clock by his bed, 6:41. He turns back to the next stack of briefs. The name "Stephenson" catches his eyes immediately. These were the briefs that Mike was working on yesterday. Like a cruel joke, Harvey's mind flashes back to the last time he saw Mike, conscious; when the kid's head wasn't wrapped in bandages, and he wasn't breathing on a freaking ventilator.

_Harvey can barely see the top of his associate's head as Harvey nears Mike's cubicle. Harvey hasn't seen the kid all day. He couldn't find the kid this morning when he first came in. Before he could find the kid, he was called into a meeting with Louis and Jessica. They're taking a break right now, so he asked Donna again if she saw his associate, and she informed him that Mike did go on the scheduled lunch meeting with Kyle Ryan. He returned and the contract was all set to be finalized. Before he was set to return to his meeting with the other partners, Harvey wanted to give him the Stephenson briefs to work on. Harvey needed them pronto. Once Harvey is standing right in front of his associate, he sees why he can barely make out the top of Mike's head. The damn kid is sleeping on the job!_

"_Mike!" Harvey says loudly. Harvey knows that he didn't need to say it that loud because he was literally standing right in front of the kid, but if you have the gall to fall asleep on the job then you deserve whatever you get._

_Without fail, Mike's head jerks up. He looks right at Harvey. When Harvey lays his eyes on the kid, he can't help but let out a gasp. The kid looks like complete shit. He's pale, and his eyes are half opened. Harvey reminds himself that Mike has been putting in a lot of all nighters and they're probably catching up with him. He's fine. _

_But, then Harvey notices that the kid's right eye is drooping. The left is still half opened, but the right is definitely drooping. The pupil doesn't look right. What the hell?_

_The fact that Mike was sleeping when he came looking for him, and that his right eye is drooping and the pupil's fucked up, meant only one thing. "Did you have a drink when you met Kyle Ryan for lunch?" Harvey asks in a pissed off tone._

_Mike's slow response only serves as further proof that Harvey's accusation is correct. "What? No. I wouldn't do that, Harvey."_

"_I hope not! Because that would be totally unprofessional, and a lawyer from Harvard wouldn't do that. " Harvey's loud response causes Mike to put a hand to his head. This infuriates Harvey even more. I thought that the kid knew better than to drink with a client during the work day. Sure, Kyle Ryan is a lush, but that doesn't give Mike the right to get drunk. Now, he's at the office and is passing out at his cubicle. How does this look? How does this make me look, to have an associate who get gets drunk with a client during a meeting?_

_Harvey's thoughts are stopped when Donna comes up to the pair. "Harvey, Jessica is waiting for you."_

_Harvey turns back to Mike, "Sober up. I need you to have the Stephenson briefs done before you leave tonight." He throws the file down on Mike's desk with more force than necessary, causing Mike to jump. "When I get back we're going to talk about this." Before Mike can respond, Harvey turns and leaves._

Harvey returns to the present. The "Stephenson" file is mocking him. Reminding him of how he yelled at the kid a mere hour before the kid collapsed. After everything with Mike happened, Harvey didn't know when he would be able to get back into the office, so he had Donna bring over the paperwork for his big upcoming cases. That way he could work on them when he got the chance. Donna probably figured that the Stephenson file would fall into this category. Instead it served as a reminder of how he failed the kid. He threw the file down. There's no way he can stand to look it over, knowing that it was the file that Mike was looking at before he went to the bathroom, and then…

No, there will be no sleeping for the time being. He picks up his phone and dials a number. "Ray, can you pick me up? I want to head over to the hospital."

**XXXX**

Harvey quietly steps into Mike's ICU cubicle. Nothing seems to have changed since he left. The sounds of the blood pressure cup, heart monitor, and ventilator are still sounding at the same pace as they were when he left. Donna's right hand is holding Mike's left hand. She has a magazine in her lap, and her left hand is turning the pages. Harvey knows that Donna is not actually reading the pages because she's turning them way too fast. Her mind is elsewhere, just as Harvey's been for the last eighteen hours.

"I thought I told you that I didn't want to see you for another six hours. If my calculations are right, and they always are, it means that you shouldn't be here until at least 9:30." She looks at her watch and then at Harvey, "It's not even eight. You still look like shit. Did you sleep at all?"

"I tried, but I couldn't. I even tried reading some briefs."

"You reading briefs? You really couldn't sleep, huh?"

"Yeah. I came across the Stephenson file."

A look of sadness passes over her face with Harvey's last statement. "Crap, Harvey I'm sorry. With all the craziness, you here at the hospital, and me trying to reschedule your appointments, I had one of the other associates pack up the files that were on Mike's desk. I didn't realize that the Stephenson case was in there. If I knew, I would have taken it out."

Harvey couldn't take Donna's ramblings anymore, trying to make him feel better. Enough about him, he needs to be here for Mike. He holds up his hand, "Donna, stop. It's okay. It just made me think." He looks at Mike for a second. "I wasn't there for the kid before when he needed me, but I'm here now." He goes to Mike's other side, and places his hand over Mike's hand.

Donna looks at Harvey, on the other side of Mike's bed. She smiles. "Yes, Harvey. You're here now. That's ll tghat matters."

**It took me awhile to write this, but I hope you guys think it was worth the wait!  
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	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own Suits.**

**A/N 1: June is almost here, which means the Suits season premiere is almost here too, yay! I think that I gave you guys a lot of angst in the last two chapters, so this one is definitely less intense. I had such great feedback for the Donna chapter, so I decided to do another one. There will be some swearing. I hope you guys enjoy!**

**Just Another Day-March 1, 2012**

Donna briskly exits the elevator at Pine View Rehabilitation Center. Today's a big day, and Donna doesn't want to waste any time. She walks up to the nurses' station and is about to ask for Becky when she sees the brunette nurse walking towards her. She's happy to see that the nurse is smiling. Mike must be having a good day.

"Hey, Donna. Good morning. You ready for your day out?"

Donna smiles, "Yes, I am. It's been a long time coming."

Becky shakes her head in understanding. It has been a long time coming. Mike has been at Pine View for nearly two months, and today will be the first time that he'll be leaving the grounds.

"He's definitely earned it, that's for sure. He's been working hard in his speech and OT sessions, especially lately."

"Well, that's Mike for you. Always has been quite the eager puppy. Never could quite keep him down, even when the odds weren't always in his favor."

Once again Becky agrees with Donna. She remembers hearing about the young lawyer's grim diagnosis from her boss, and later Donna when she was preparing the paperwork to have Mike placed at Pine View. One subarachnoid bleed was bad, but the second sent Mike's survival rate down drastically. It was a miracle that the kid even made it through both surgeries alive. He stopped breathing twice during the second operation, one time for over five minutes. Dr. Clarke's diagnosis wasn't optimistic, but Mike proved the medical profession wrong.

"He's definitely excited about today. He was up before I came in. He even ate his eggs and toast without any nagging. He's been dressed since eight. In fact I threatened him. His nervous pacing was getting in the nurses' way. I told him that if he didn't stay in his room, then I will personally make sure that he has oatmeal for breakfast for his duration at Pine View."

Donna smirks when she hears Becky's threat. Mike detests oatmeal, so the threat would no doubt have been taken seriously. It's comments like this that reminds her of why she and Becky get along so well. They both have a tough exterior, but inside they have a heart of gold. This is how they keep both Harvey and Mike in line.

"Is he good to go?" Donna knows that medically Mike is fine. He has been free from his IV for a couple of weeks now, but she just wants to make sure. This is the first time Mike's going out, and Donna wants to make sure that there are no problems.

"He's good. Just keep an eye out. His stamina is still low. His body is used to doing mostly sedentary activities. So, after moving around a lot he's probably going to tire easily, and because he's so stubborn he's probably not going to tell you when he's getting tired. Just keep an eye out for the warning signs that he's getting tired. By know you know what they are."

"Right. I'll watch for stuttering, and shaking." Donna says in confidence. She has seen these signs plenty of times when she has visited Mike. "I'll take good care of him."

"I know you will." Becky says with a smile. "Now, you better go get him before he wears a hole in his floor."

"Right. Let me go get the kid out of your hair for a bit." Donna turns and makes his way to Mike's room.

As Donna enters Mike's room, she can see what Becky meant by how Mike's pacing was driving the nurses crazy. Mike's pacing back and forth. Donna clears her throat when she sees Mike going to turn and start another line of pacing.

Mike looks up at the interruption. He has a smile that goes from ear to ear. "Hi, Donna."

"Hey, Mike. How you doing?" Donna asks as she walks into Mike's room.

"Okay."

Mike looks like a kid ready to bust on Christmas morning. He's bursting with energy. He's rubbing his hands together in anticipation, almost bouncing on the heels of his feet. Donna has to have a little fun with him, he's due for it after all the crying and worrying he has put her through over the last three months. "What are you so excited about? You're this excited to see me?"

Mike has on a pair of jeans and a Harvard sweatshirt. It's still strange for Donna to see him wearing something other than a suit. Mike looks at Donna with a quizzical look on his face. His voice is full of uncertainly, "I thought we were going out today."

Donna doesn't answer Mike right away. Donna was going to tease Mike that he got the date wrong, but then she saw the look of despair on his face when she was teasing me about being excited to see her. She mentally smacks herself on the head in stupidity. Mike wouldn't catch on right away that Donna's teasing him. He's so routine oriented, that she had to tell him about their plans on Monday so he would be prepared for today, which is a Thursday. When she played stupid just now, the poor kid probably thought he had the day wrong. She has to set him straight.

"Nah, Mike. I'm just fooling with you. You ready to get the hell out of dodge?" Donna asks.

The smile returns to Mike's face, and he quickly answers, "Fuck yeah!"

**XXXXX**

"Hi, Ray. How have you been?" Mike asks as he nears the town car. It's good to see Ray. He hasn't seen him since before he went into the hospital. It's good to see a friendly face that he used to see all the time, before the aneurysm.

"Good to see you too, Mike." Ray opens the door for Mike, and he gets in the car. It's strange having Ray open the door for him. He's used to having Harvey tell him to get in on the other side of the car, and opening his own door. Just another case in point of how a near death experience changes how people treat you.

Once in the car, Mike looks at Donna with a questioning look on his face. She answers his unspoken question. "Harvey has meetings all day. He doesn't need the car."

"Ahhh, I see." Mike says as he looks out the window. Mike is taking in all the scenery, even the mundane sights. Anything would look better than the tree that he can see from his room's window at the rehabilitation center. Before he knows it, they're at the hairdressers.

"Come on kid. Let's go. Let's not keep Terry waiting. She gets even more pissed than Harvey if someone's late."

**XXXXX**

"I like this look on you better. The shaggy look is definitely not for you." Donna teases, as she runs her hand over his shorter locks. Mike's hair is shorter than it was, but not too short. Mike was clear that he didn't want his hair too short. Mike didn't say why, but Donna knows. She knows that Mike is still self-conscious about the scar that runs along the right side of his skull.

He gives Donna a look of gratitude. "I feel better."

"I see that. I saw the way you were flirting with Chelsea. So, tell me. Did you get her number?" Donna couldn't help but tease Mike. Chelsea's the shampoo girl at Donna's hairdressers, and you can tell that she was smitten with the young lawyer. She practically giggled and smiled at everything Mike said. And for the most part, Mike seemed to be oblivious to Chelsea's actions.

Mike sighs, "It wasn't like that. We were just talking." Mike moves away from Donna's hand and leans his head on the cool glass window.

"Sure. Like you always 'just talk to Rachel'. I saw you at work. You have Chelsea smitten with your genius knowledge of the most mundane. "

Mike shakes his head. "Yeah, right. Like she would ever go out with a guy like me." Mike says in a whisper barely loud enough for Donna to hear.

But, Donna did hear. Mike has come a long way physically, but his mental state is still in constant limbo. Dr. Wade, Pine View's psychologist, warned Harvey and Donna that depression and a depreciation of self worth are often side effects of a brain injury. Poor kid probably thinks that he's not good enough to have a girlfriend. Donna tries talking to the young associate, "Mike." Mike continues looking out the car window, ignoring Donna. Donna tries again. "Look at me."

Mike continues to ignore Donna's pleas, and she tries again. This time she touches his chin, "Mike, look at me. Please."

Mike finally gives into Donna's pleas, and looks at her with his sad, puppy dog eyes.

Donna has to hold back a tear. She needs to be the strong one here. "Listen, puppy. Chelsea or any other lady would be lucky to have you. You're smart, funny, and handsome. You always seem to beat the odds. Hell, you are the only one I know who actually made Harvey Specter show that he does indeed have a heart. That's no small task. Give yourself some credit"

Mike is silent for a minute, letting all that Donna said sink in. "So, Harvey does have a heart. I didn't think that was a possibility."

"So, did I kid. So, did I." A smile spreads across Mike's face. "So, you ready to see your grandmother?"

"Yeah. I'm glad that I can finally visit her."

"Well, you have seen her. She's visited you at Pine View."

"I know, but it's not the same."

Mike's right. It's not the same. Mike used to be the one who visited his grandmother at her home. Having his grandmother come visit him at the rehabilitation center must have been strange for the associate. No wonder why today was so Important to Mike; riding in the town car, getting a haircut, visiting his grandmother, and getting some lunch were things that Mike used to do on a normal day. Today was a return to the old normal, and if that makes the kid happy then Donna's going to make sure that he enjoys every bit of it.

"You're right it's not. But, you're going to see her now. She's gonna be excited to see you."

"She is." The pair then engages in light banter back and forth. They discuss the inner workings of what's going on at Pearson Hardman. What associates are in deep shit. Greg is ready to quit because Harvey's been riding his ass, comparing his work to Mike's. He hears about how Harvey has some briefs that he wants Mike to look over because he wants them done right. He hears about the latest insult Harvey directed at Louis. Before they know it, the car pulls up to the home that Mike's grandmother lives in.

"Come on, Mike. Let's go." Donna pats his arm and the two of them get out of the car. As they enter the home, Donna sees Mike relax at the familiar surroundings. This is exactly what the kid needs. Even though Donna knows the way to Catherine's room by now because of her frequent trips there to give her an update on Mike or just to simply visit with the elderly lady, Donna lets Mike lead the way. Let him control something. Poor kid hasn't had much control over anything over the last couple of months. They turn down a hallway and soon they enter Mike's grandmother's room.

Catherine stands up when she sees her grandson, a huge smile's on her face. The only thing brighter than her smile is the one that's on her grandson's face. He goes to her and wraps her in a huge hug, "Hi, Grammy."

"Hello, Michael. It's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too. I've missed you." The family members break apart.

Catherine looks at Donna and smiles again. "Hello, Donna. How are you?"

"I'm good, Catherine. It's nice to see you."

"Thank you for arranging this." Catherine says.

"It's my pleasure, Catherine." Donna looks at Mike and sees how happy Mike is, and is happy that she could do something so small to make the young lawyer so happy. "Okay, I have an appointment for a massage that I'm way overdue for. So, I'm going to get going. You two visit, I'll be back in a bit and then we'll grab some lunch. Sounds good?"

"Sounds great, Donna."

"Okay, then. Have fun." Donna waves good bye to Mike and Catherine and makes her exit.

**XXXXX**

"So, what do you want to do for lunch?" Donna asks Mike as they're sitting in the car after Donna picked Mike up after his visit with his grandmother.

"It's beautiful out. I really don't want to sit in a stuffy restaurant, "Mike answers.

Donna thinks for a minute. It is beautiful out, blue skies without a cloud in the sky. Even though it's only the first of March, it's unseasonably mild out, like it has been for most of the winter. Mike didn't seem to be chilled in his sweatshirt.

"I got the perfect spot!" Donna says excitedly. She tells Ray where to go.

Ray smiles. "That's perfect." The car then makes it way to it's' destination.

Once they're there the two get out of the car. Mike takes a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air. This is perfect.

Donna sees Mike enjoying the fresh air, "So, did I make a good decision, kid?"

"It's perfect, Donna. Thanks."

"No problem, rookie. Let's go for a walk"

The two walk side by side as they start to head into the park. As they trek through the park, Mike is taking it all in. He sees people jogging. People sitting on a bench, eating their lunch or reading. Even seeing the food vendor is a welcomed sight. Donna sees Mike eyeing the food vendor. "Come on, let's get something to eat. Becky's gonna kick my ass if I return you unfed."

"You and Becky in a fight. I would pay to see that."Mike laughs.

Donna raises her eyebrow, but ignores Mike's comment for the moment. They walk up to the food vendor. Dona gets her usual, a hotdog with everything and a diet. Mike gets a hotdog with ketchup and a Pepsi. As the two of them sit down on a bench to eat their lunch, Mike says something that's been on his mind since they left Pine View this morning. "It's strange."

"What? Me eating a hotdog?" Donna teases.

Mike laughs, but then goes serious. "As stupid as it sounds, life goes on. When you're in-n-n a room al-l-ll day, you forget that everything outside the room still goes on-n-n-n."

Donna looks at Mike, "I can only imagine kid. But, you're getting there. Before you know it, you'll be out of Pine View. You'll be back at the office trading jabs with the other associates, and pulling all nights to get work done for Harvey."

Mike's about to say something when he hears a booming voice, "Unbelievable. His first taste of freedom, Donna and you take him to the park and get him a hotdog."

Mike and Donna turn to see Harvey making his way towards the pair. "Shut it, Harvey. The kid needs some sun. He's suffering from a lack of Vitamin D."

Harvey takes a good look at Mike. "True. He is looking awfully pasty," Harvey says as he takes a seat next to Mike on the bench. "How you doing, kid?"

"Good-d-d. H-h-h-ow's work?"

"I brought some papers that I would like you to look over. None of the other associates can make sense of them. Do you mind doing that?"

Mike shakes his head yes, as he goes to take a bite of his hotdog. Neither Harvey nor Donna says anything as they see the kid's hand shaking.

As he takes a bite of his hotdog, Mike asks, "Har-v-v-ey, wh-o-o-o do you th-th-ink would w-w-in if they f-f-ought, Don-n-n-a or-or-or Bec-ky-ky?"

Donna quirks her eyebrows, waiting for her boss to answer.

"I take the fifth." Harvey says. "You done with your lunch? I can go for a walk. I've been sitting in a chair all day."

"I'm-m-m done. "

"Good, let's go then. " The trio stand up and start walking.

As they're walking, Donna returns to the conversation that they were having about whether Donna or Becky would win a fight. "I have to say, Harvey. Taking the fifth is probably the best possible answer for you."

"I'm not stupid, Donna." Harvey turns to Mike, putting his associate in the hot seat. "Okay, Mr. Instigator. Who would you choose to win, Donna or Becky?"

"I tak-k-ke th-h-h-h-e f-f-fith too," Mike answers.

"Copy cat, you start trouble, and then cop out when the going gets tough." Harvey says.

"I'm n-not cop-ping ou-t-t-t-."

"You're not? That's not what it sounds like to me, kid." Donna says with a smirk on her face, adding fuel to the fire.

"Yeah, Bec-k-ky con-n-ntrols my-my-my meds and Don-n-n-na is-s-s-s-s- Don-n-na." Mike answers.

"Very true, Mike." Donna says

Harvey follows up with, "Smart man, Mike. Good answer."

All three are laughing. Mike's laughing so much that he has to wipe a tear from his eye. As he does so, the shaking in his hand is quite noticeable. Donna can see that the day out is taking its toll on Mike, the kid is tired. The stuttering and worsening shaking in his hands are tell tale signs of the kid's exhaustion. Donna looks at Harvey, she can tell by the look in his eyes, that he too has picked up on his associate's exhaustion.

Harvey decides that he's going to be the bad guy this time. Spare Donna from raining on the kid's parade. "Okay, kid. I have to get going. Why don't we drop you off at Pine View, before we head back to the office?"

Mike knows that it's not just that Harvey needs to get back to the office. He gives Harvey a look.

Harvey knows that he can't sugarcoat things with the kid. It's the understanding they had since Mike went into the hospital. Harvey has always been honest with the kid, even when he probably shouldn't have been. So, he's not gonna stop now. "You're tired kid, come on. I can see it. Your hand is shaking, and your stuttering's bad. Let's get you back, so you can rest."

"R-r-rest, y-y-ou m-m-m-ean t-t-t-ake a-a-a- n-n-ap. I'm-m-m n-n-ot a b-b-b-aby."

"I know you're not a baby, Mike. But, if we bring you back exhausted, it's a pretty safe bet that Becky's not gonna let us take you again for awhile."

Mike furrows his eyebrows, he's definitely thinking of what Harvey said. He takes a deep breath, and then says,"I g—gues y-y-ou're right."

"Of course, I am. I'm Harvey Specter." Harvey says with a confident smile.

"Oh, God. Can we please go before I get sick?" Donna chimes in.

"L-l-let's g-g-go."Mike says reluctantly.

"You heard the man, let's move out." Harvey says.

**XXXXX**

Within seconds of Mike lying down on his bed he falls asleep. Harvey carefully slips the kid's sneakers off so that he'll be more comfortable. "Not tired, my ass." Harvey whispers.

Donna laughs at Harvey's remark. Throughout the car ride back to Pine View Mike kept insisting that he wasn't tired in a last minute attempt to stall his return back to Pine View. His declaration didn't have much merit because every few seconds the kid would have to blink his eyes repeatedly to stay awake.

"He misses being away from here, Harvey. Can you blame the kid if he didn't want to come back?" Donna says in a whisper to match Harvey's.

Harvey can't blame Mike for not wanting to return to the rehabilitation center. The lawyer knows that he would have gone nuts if he has spent as much time in a hospital setting as his associate has over the last couple of months.

Hell, Harvey can't lie. He genuinely misses the kid. He can only imagine how the kid must feel. Harvey can see his coworkers, friends, and family members whenever he wanted. Mike doesn't have the same luxury. His human contact for the most part comes in the form of nurses, doctors, and therapists. Sure, he gets visitors. But, often the visits are inconsistent and sometimes far and few between. Harvey makes it a priority to see him a couple of times a week, but it's not the same as having Mike working down the hall from him. But, Harvey knows that this is where Mike needs to be to fully recuperate.

"I don't blame him at all. I wish I could do more for him." Harvey admits.

"Me too, Harvey. For the time being, I have to believe that we are doing everything we can for him."

Harvey looks at his watch. He really needs to get back to the office. He puts his hand on Mike's. For a second he thinks Mike's going to wake up when the he moves his head. But, Mike quickly settles. "We have to get going, kid. I hope you had a good time today. You deserve it. Maybe next time I can get us tickets for a game or something. See ya, rookie." Harvey turns and makes his way towards the door.

Donna leans over Mike's bed and gently kisses Mike on the forehead, "Bye, puppy. See you soon." Donna then joins Harvey by the door to Mike's room, and the pair leaves.

**I know this was a long chapter, but I wanted to make Mike's first day out worthwhile. I hope you guys liked it!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own Suits**

**A/N 1: I know it's been awhile, but real life has been crazy. But, now that I'm done with school I'll have more time to write. That means updates will be more frequent, hopefully. **

**Chapter 8-January 20, 2012**

"Harvey, I gotta go."

Harvey looks up from his laptop to see Donna standing in the doorway with a look of unease on her face. It's not even noon. She never leaves this early without giving Harvey more notice. Something's not right.

Even though he's afraid to hear her answer, he asks "what's wrong?"

"Holly called."

Harvey takes a deep breath. Holly is one of the nurses at Pine View, which means something is going on with Mike. Harvey reassures himself that it can't be too bad. If it was life and death they would have contacted him directly because he's Mike's next of kin. Harvey's been at his desk the whole morning, so he would have gotten the phone call, not Donna.

"What is it? What's wrong with Mike?"

Donna comes in and sits down in a chair across from Harvey's desk. She knows that he gets nervous, well as nervous as Harvey Specter gets, when she's stands in the hallway. "He has one of those killer headaches. The meds they gave him made him sick. He's miserable, Harvey. I can't leave him like that all alone."

Harvey nods his head in agreement. Ever since Mike woke up he has suffered periodically from severe headaches. The doctors said that they were common with a brain such as Mike's, and hopefully they would subside as Mike recovers. Harvey prays that's the case because he doesn't know what he would do if he had to watch Mike suffer from them permanently.

His optimism that Mike's headaches won't be permanent isn't just for Mike's wellbeing. He hates the damn headaches because of not only what they do to his associate, but what they also do to him. To put it mildly the headaches freak Harvey out. He was there for one of the first ones. The lawyer will give anything to get the image of Mike huddled in the fetal position moaning in pain out of his head. He has difficulty knowing that even with all of his skills he couldn't do a damn thing for the kid when he's keeled over in pain. And he definitely can't handle being all touchy feely and whispering reassurances with Mike when he's crying into his pillow in pain. Thank god, for Donna. That's all her and it instantly clicks why Holly called Donna and not him this time.

Without hesitation, Harvey says "Go. I'll stop by later to check in on you guys."

"You okay for the day? Do you need me to do anything before I go?"

"I'm good. Go and take good care of him."

"Like you even have to ask." Donna swiftly turns around and leaves Harvey's office.

**XXXXX**

Donna quietly opens the door to Mike's room. The lights are off, as is the television. The only sound in the room is Mike's heartbreaking moans and quick breaths. As she makes her way to Mike's bed she slips off her shoes. Based on what Holly said over the phone as well as what she's witnessing now, this is a bad one.

When Holly called Donna earlier, her heart skipped a beat. She has witnessed Mike suffering from these headaches before and knows that they are pure agony for the young associate. It breaks her heart to see the kid whimpering in pain. Harvey takes great pride in being a hard ass and not letting his emotions show. But, he can't bear to see Mike in pain when he's battling these debilitating headaches. She's witnessed Harvey having to leave the room because Mike was in so much pain that he was actually crying, praying for relief. She was the one who had to rub Mike's back and tell him to hold on until the pain meds kicked in. Now she's going to have to do it again.

Mike is curled up on his right side, facing the wall. He's curled up in a tiny ball, shaking and whimpering. Donna gently gets into his bed and puts her arms around Mike. He flinches at first. She quietly whispers in his ear, "Easy, Mike. I gotcha. Relax." Donna rubs Mike's upper arm. As if her touch is magic, the intensity of his shaking lessens. Donna quietly utters, "that's it, Mike. Let the meds work. Just breathe." Donna stays there, with her arms wrapped round Mike, matching her breaths with Mike's. "What do you want me to do?"

Mike doesn't say anything for a second. Then he quietly whispers, "S—s-s-ing."

Donna pulls Mike close to her. "sing? I can't sing."

Mike says once again in a pain filled voice. "P-p-p-pl-ease s-s-sing."

Even though she can't see him, she can tell he's close to crying. Damn him for using the waterworks. She gives in. "Okay, Mike. I'll sing, But, if you laugh I'm gonna smack you. Or if you tell anyone. Got it?"

Mike doesn't shake his head, probably because it's hurting so bad and any kind of movement will further send him over the edge. He quietly moans instead. Donna takes this as agreeing to her terms. She takes a deep breath. This is for Mike. Her puppy that collapsed on her watch from an aneurysm and has been fighting so hard to recover ever since. Donna gently sings the first thing that she can think of.

_The power of love is a curious thing  
>Make a one man weep, make another man sing<br>Change a hawk to a little white dove  
>More than a feeling that's the power of love<em>

Tougher than diamonds, rich like cream  
>Stronger and harder than a bad girl's dream<br>Make a bad one good make a wrong one right  
>Power of love that keeps you home at night<p>

Before Donna can continue she can feel Mike relaxing against her. The whimpers are dying out and the shaking is barely visible. It's working. She's afraid that if she stops singing Mike's pain will return, so she continues to sing quietly.

_You don't need money, don't take fame  
>Don't need no credit card to ride this train<br>It's strong and it's sudden and it's cruel sometimes  
>But it might just save your life<br>That's the power of love  
>That's the power of love<em>

First time you feel it, it might make you sad  
>Next time you feel it it might make you mad<br>But you'll be glad baby when you've found  
>That's the power makes the world go'round<p>

By the time Donna should be singing the next verse, Mike's breaths are no longer gasps. Instead they are much deeper, signaling that he has finally fallen asleep. Her work is done and she pulls Mike even closer to her and kisses the side of his forehead lightly. Now that Mike is resting soundly, so can she. She closes her eyes, letting Mike's deep breaths lull her to sleep.

**XXXXX**

Harvey confidently strides into Pine View Rehabilitation Center at a little after six in the afternoon. He just closed a big deal with Hawkins Industries, and it's officially the weekend. The lawyer has a bag of take out from Metro Diner in his hand. Even though he knows that he wouldn't have done Mike any good, he still feels like shit for not coming until now. When he reaches Holly at the nurses' station she gives him a glimmer of hope that the kid is doing better when she smiles. "Donna's worked her magic. He's doing much better now. He's finally resting. Just be quiet when you go in." The two of them make their way towards Mike's room. Holly continues on her rounds as Harvey quietly opens the door to Mike's room. Donna's on Mike's bed with her arms wrapped around him. Both are fast asleep, oblivious to Harvey's presence.

But, not for long. Donna's perception is s sharp as ever. Like a guard dog she feels another presence in the room. She opens her eyes and immediately spots Harvey. She says in a voice that's just barely above a whisper, "Did you close the Hawkins Deal?"

Harvey can't help but smirk. Donna plays so many roles so well. As she provides Mike with a motherly, calming touch she can still talk shop about important cases. He whispers, "The deal is done. How is he?" Harvey asks as he moves closer to Mike's side and rubs his hand over his associate's forehead.

Donna sits up in bed, bot not wanting to relinquish her hold on the kid, her hand is still resting on his upper arm. "He's okay. He finally fell asleep awhile ago."

Harvey sits down in the seat next to Mike's bed. "Good. I know he needs it."

A smile appears on Donna's face. "Is that a corned beef Reuben from Metro Diner I smell?" Donna says with a devilish grin.

"Yes it is. I knew that you left the office before noon and didn't have time to get lunch, so I picked you up something."

Donna holds her left hand out for the Reuben, with her right arm still resting on Mike's arm. Without being asked, Harvey hands her the sandwich, "Here. Extra dressing on 7 grain, just the way you like it."

Donna takes a big bite of her sandwich, "Oh My God, this is sinful!"

Harvey can't help but laugh. "You say that about a sandwich. I would love to hear what you would say after a night-"

Before Harvey can get out the rest of his comment, Mike shifts in bed, moaning. Donna moves her hand off of his arm as Mike rolls onto his back. He groggily opens his eyes and spots Donna. "H-h-h-h-ey."

"Hey, yourself. How you feeling?"

Mike takes a minute to get his bearings. "B-b-b-e-t-t-ter."

Donna frowns at Mike's response. His answer doesn't give her much. Nearly anything will be better than curling in a ball and whimpering in pain. But, when she sees a small smile on Mike's face she knows that he is in fact feeling better. "What's so funny?"

Mike starts to laugh, "I-I-I c-c-c-an't b-b-bel-l-l-ieve t-t-that y-y-y-ou s-s-s-sang H-h-uey L-l-lewis an-n-d t-t-t-the N-n-n-ews t-t-t-o m-m-m-me."

Up to this point Harvey has been quiet, gauging the situation, seeing how Mike is fairing. But, when he hears that Donna sang to Mike, he can't stop himself, "You sang? More importantly you sang Huey Lewis and the News?"

Realizing that there's no getting out of this one, she gently slaps Mike on the shoulder and admonishes. "You weren't supposed to say anything!"

Harvey snickers and Mike laughs. All eyes are on Donna. She looks to Mike and then to Harvey. "What? I watched Back to the Future last weekend and the song has been stuck in my head ever since."

"I always knew you were an 80's girl. This just confirms it," Harvey snickers.

"Shut up, Harvey." Donna retorts.

"Hey, is that anyway to speak to someone who brought you your favorite sandwich when you were about to collapse from starvation."

"Collapse from starvation? Please, Harvey."

They quickly realize that their banter is missing something. They look to see Mike's eyes are once closed. He blinks his eyes, trying to stay awake. The two aren't surprised that he's nodding off, for whenever Mike gets pain meds he's usually out for the count.

"Don't fight it, Mike. Go back to sleep. I'll be here tomorrow." Harvey reassures Mike as puts his hand over his associate's hand.

"Yeah, rookie. I'm making my famous sugar cookies and I'm in the mood to watch some Brat Pack Classics, so I'll be back here on Sunday."

Harvey knows that the kid is exhausted because he doesn't even make a comment about Donna's movie choices for their next visit. Their reassurances that they will be back must have brought peace to his mind because he soon drifts off, and soon Mike's gentle snores fill he room.

Harvey looks at Donna, across form Mike's bedside and says quietly, "You can go if you want. I'm going to be here for a while."

Donna knows that Harvey's going to be here for most of the night. It's Friday night and ever since Mike went into the hospital Harvey always visits him every Friday. Donna has had to sweet talk, lie, and manipulate several times over the past month and a half to make sure that Harvey was available to see Mike on Fridays. It's their routine, and the doctors have been adamant that Mike needs a routine. So she does everything in her power to make sure that he gets that. Even knowing that Harvey is here for the night, Donna can't bear to leave Mike's side. It was just a couple of hours ago that she bore witness to his heart wrenching cries, while he was curled up upon himself. She can't leave yet. In an equally quiet voice, she responds, "Nah, I'm going to stick around for a while."

Harvey raises his eyebrows and continues talking lightly, "You sure? You don't have anything to do or anywhere to be? He's just going to sleep. I'm going to stay here and get some work done, and get him to try and eat something when he does wake up. You don't need to be here for that."

It's true that there are other things that Donna could be doing other than sitting at Mike's bedside as he sleeps. She needs to pick up her dry cleaning. Her nephew's third birthday is the next week and she still has to get his present. She definitely owes her aunt an overdue phone call. But, the truth is she cannot think of another place should would rather be. A small smile comes to her face. "No, I'm good. I'm exactly where I want to be."

Harvey knows better than to ask again. It's obvious the kid is out for the count. He hasn't even twitched since he fell back asleep, so in a normal volume Harvey says, "Well since you're staying, I have to ask you something."

"What?"

"Who was your favorite Brat Pack actor?"

Without a hint of hesitation, Donna replies "Rob Low. Hands down."

Harvey shakes his head.

"What?" Donna asks.

"I always pictured you to be more of a Judd Nelson girl."

"Well, you know me. I'm full of surprises."

"Very true."

They sit back and settle in for the night. Harvey opens his brief case and gets to work on a new case, as Donna turns on the television. It's on low even though she knows that Mike will be out for awhile. She just doesn't want to take a chance and have the kid wake up. The two of them quietly talk as Mike sleeps restfully between them. All exactly where they need to be: together.

**For those of you who may not know the song that Donna sang to Mike, it's "the Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News. The reason I put it in here is the very same reason why Donna sang it. I watched Back to the Future a couple of weeks ago, and that song has been in my head ever since. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own Suits.**

**A/N: Sorry, it took so long. I lost my writing mojo for a bit. I'm hoping that it's back now that I have plenty of time to write. Because of some Harvey and Mike banter there will be some cursing in this chapter. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 9-January 20, 2012**

Harvey carefully maneuvers out of the car, trying to get a good handle on the bag of food, stack of books, and his brief case while also trying to close the car door.

Sensing that Harvey is about to drop something, Ray quickly comes to his rescue. "Here, I'll take these," Ray says as he reaches for the pile of books that Harvey is trying to hold on to. He looks through the pile of books. "_The Wealth of Nations, Criminal Sociology, Amusing the_ _Millions: Coney Island at the Turn of the Century,_ and _Dethroning the_ _King: The Hostile Takeover of Anheuser-Busch._ The kid's bored again, I see. Didn't Donna just bring him a stack of books two days ago?"

Harvey shrugs his shoulders and rolls his eyes. "You know Mike. He reads more in one day than most people do in a month. I'd rather have him rattle off some useless information he read in a book than tell me more of that drivel he sees on Ellen and The Chew."

Ray can't help but smirk. He knows that Harvey, by shrugging his shoulders and rolling eyes is trying to make it look like he's somewhat bothered with having to bring Mike books every few days. But, Ray isn't fooled. Donna told him that Harvey goes through Mike's Amazon wish list every couple of days and purchases books the kid has chosen with his personal credit card, not the firm's. Sometimes he has Donna give Mike some of the books he buys so it doesn't look like he's buying him all of them.

Donna once asked the lawyer why he buys Mike so many books. His reply was, "I can't have him die of boredom. I need him back soon. I can't take having to rely on those Harvard doucebags much longer."

Returning back to the present, "Why don't you just get him one of those Nooks or Kindles? Wouldn't that be easier than trying to walk around with one of these every other day?" Ray asks as he motions to the pile of books in his hands.

Harvey shakes his head and adjusts the bag of food and his brief case. "Turning the pages is good OT therapy. He'll get a lot more out of that than using a touch screen." Now that the bag and brief case are securely in place he reaches for the pile of books in Ray's hands. "I can take these now."

Ray nods in agreement and hands the books to Harvey. "Okay then. Call me when you're ready to go."

"You don't need to pick me up. I can take a cab. I don't know how long I'm going to be here. And I don't want to hold you up for the rest of the night."

Ray sighs in frustration. He and Harvey go through this every Friday night. Harvey insists that he'll take a cab home. Ray refuses. And Harvey ends up giving in and allows Ray to give him a ride home at the end of the night.

Don't get him wrong, Ray appreciates Harvey willing to let him off early on Friday nights. But, Ray can't let him do that. Ever since Mike went into the hospital it seems like Donna and Harvey has made countless concessions to aid the kid in his recovery. Donna spends most of her Saturdays and at least one night during the work week at the rehabilitation center. She has also become a frequent guest at the home where Mike's grandmother lives.

As awful as this ordeal is, the one good thing that has come out of it is that Harvey has shown on more than one occasion that he does indeed have a heart. Ray and Donna have always known that it has always been there because they have seen it on a few, rare occasions. But, nearly everyone has become an eyewitness to it since Mike went into the hospital. Harvey visits Mike at least three times a week. Ray has also been called several times during the day to pick Harvey up because Mike was having a rough time or had a doctor's appointment and the lawyer wanted to be there. There has been numerous times where Ray has had to pick Harvey up in the morning at either the hospital or Pine View because the kid had a bad night. Not to mention Harvey has kept Ray quite busy, by having him drive him to various electronic stores to pick up a television, blu ray player, IPhone, and other new, fancy electronics for the kid. And of course there are the countless trips to various restaurants, delis, and dives to try and find foods that the young associate will actually eat. Yeah, Harvey's self proclamation that he doesn't care goes right out the window when it pertains to Mike.

With all that Donna and Harvey has done for Mike, Ray feels like it is his duty to do something to help out, not only because of his friendship with Harvey, but also because he has a soft spot for the young lawyer. So whereas before Mike landed himself in the hospital Ray would have rejoiced when he got off duty early on a Friday, he now feels like he's providing a vital part in Mike's recovery. He knows that Harvey hates taking a cab late. If he was to take a cab he would have to leave Mike's relatively early. Ray doesn't want that on his conscious. If the infamous womanizing Harvey Specter can give up his Friday nights to sit with his young protégé and watch movies while eating take out, then Ray can come get Harvey whenever he's ready to leave.

"Don't even think about taking a cab, Harvey. You do that and the next time I pick you up I will play a CD that my fourteen year old niece likes. There will be plenty of Justin Bieber and Cody Simpson."

Harvey laughs and nods his head. "You got me. I'll call you when I'm ready to go. Thanks, Ray."

"No problem, Harvey. Say hi to Mike for me."

"Will do." Harvey then turns away from the car and makes his way towards the doors of Pine View.

**XXXXX**

"Hey, Harvey." Becky greets with a smile.

Harvey returns the smile, "Hi, Becky. How's he doing today."

"He worked hard at both speech and occupational therapy. Charlie's really impressed with how far he's come with his speech."

Harvey smiles, "Good, that's what I like to hear. That's why I hired Mike. I don't like working with mediocrity."

"It's good that he has someone like you in his corner. Some family members and friends of people who suffer brain injuries are afraid to push them too much. Afraid of hurting their feelings. And sometimes that actually hurts the recovery. It's s tricky balance. You need to be tough, pushing them to their limits. But, you also need to know when to back off. Know when enough is enough, and they need a break. You seem to have that balance down perfectly. Part hard ass, part push over."

Harvey gives Becky another one of his trademark smiles, "Usually when I'm called a hard ass, it's in a negative connotation. I'm happy to hear it used in a better context. Just don't tell Donna, that I'm also part pushover. I have a persona t need to keep. Now If you excuse me, I better get going. Mike's probably chopping at the bit for some socialization that doesn't come from the television."

Now it's Becky turn to smile."Sure thing, Harvey. Have a good night.'

Harvey waves as he makes his way towards Mike's room. Becky can't help but smile as she says quietly to herself, "I hate to tell you this, Harvey. But, I think your secret of being a push over is already out."

Harvey's about to knock on Mike's door when he notices that Mike's eyes are closed and the television is off. Occupational therapy and speech must have really worn him out. Harvey walks into the room and places his brief case, bag of food, and books on the round table by the television. He moves closer to Mike's bed and sure enough the kid is dead to the world. He can't help but smirk when he sees a tiny line of drool coming from one side of the kid's mouth.

Harvey playfully slaps Mike's black converse clad foot, "Wake up, rookie. You're drooling all over yourself."

The result is instant. Mike's eyes pop open and look towards where the voice came from, "H-har-vey? Wh-hat t-t-ti-me is i-t-t?"

Harvey rolls his eyes, "Time for you to get your ass up. I got you some dinner. Donna told me about you bitching the other day that the food here isn't fit for animal consumption. And I'm starving. Unlike you, I haven't napped all day."

"N-not a-l-l d-d-day. J-just s-s-in-ce I-i-i- g-g-ot b-back fr-fr-om t-t-th-er-apy at th-h-ree th-th-ir-ty." Mike says defensively as he wipes the line of drool on his face.

Harvey rolls his eyes and looks at his watch. "Yeah right, Mike. That line of drool coming from your mouth tells me that you've been sleeping for longer than an hour. Now, do you want to eat here or at the table?"

Mike says quickly, "t-t-ab-le." He then moves himself so that his legs are hanging over the side of his bed. He can't help but smile as he watches Harvey taking out their dinner, but also looking over his shoulder at Mike to see if he needs help. Yeah right, he doesn't care. Mike swiftly makes his way to the table and plops down in a chair. "w-w-hat d-d-id y-y-ou g-g-et m-me?"

Harvey opens the take out container and hands it to Mike. "Chicken tenders and fries. You eat like a ten year old. If I don't know what to get you I know chicken tenders, fries, and macaroni and cheese are always a safe bet." Harvey didn't point out that he didn't get the kid macaroni and cheese today because that's always an adventure. Anything that involves macaroni and a fork is a disaster in the making, and he wants tonight to be an easy night. He heard from Becky, Charlie, and Haylie (Mike's occupational therapist) about how hard he's been working. Mike deserves a break. He doesn't want the kid to get stressed out, just by eating.

"W—what-e-e-ver." Mie replies.

"So, eloquent. Now you're acting like a teenager. Barbecue or sweet and sour?" Harvey asks as he holds up the two different dipping sauces.

Mike just rolls his eyes and points to the barbecue sauce.

"So, what now you're giving me the silent treatment. You really are acting like a teenager. Tell me what you want." Harvey knows that he's busting Mike's chops, but they both know that the only way Mike's speech is going to improve is if he actually speaks.

"B-b-ar-b-b-e-cue." Mike answers quietly.

Harvey opens the dipping sauce and places it in front of Mike, along with the ketchup. "There you go."

As Harvey enjoys his own supper, he looks up every so often to watch Mike as he eats. He notices that Mike's hand is only shaking a little as he dips his chicken tender in the barbecue sauce. In fact the shaking is so minute, one probably would not have noticed it unless you are looking for it. But, Harvey notices everything, no matter how small or insignificant about Mike these days. He notices how Mike's shaking and stuttering gets worse when he's stressed or tired. He knows that when Mike turns the television off he's so tired that he doesn't need the sound of the television to aid him as he drifts off to sleep. He knows that when Mike gets quiet, he's aggravated. Harvey knows that when Mike's head starts to droop to one side, a headache is coming.

Harvey also knows how far Mike has come over the last two months. The fact that Mike actually told him he wanted barbecue sauce, his hand was barely shaking, and the fact that he was eating is a huge improvement from how thing were like just a month ago. It wasn't too long ago that they couldn't get Mike to eat jack shit, and when he would eat, the shaking was so bad that someone would end up feeding him. Harvey would gladly erase those memories of actually having to hold Mike's sandwich as he would take a bite from it with tears of frustration in his eyes, and Harvey telling him everything will be okay.

Harvey's reverie ends when he hears his associate clearing his throat. He looks over to Mike, "You done?" He looks to see two of the six tenders left and about a third of the fries. Not the most the kid has eaten, but he'll take it. The kid is still too damn thin.

"D-d—es-sert?"Mike asks.

Harvey raises his eyebrows. "What you think that I'm suicidal? I heard about how Donna brought you those snickerdoodles and you were bouncing off the walls last weekend. I can't afford to have the personnel here pissed at me."

Mike gives his boss his patent puppy eyes.

"But, I do owe you for looking over the Antonucci briefs. So, here you go." Harvey says as he takes out a small box from Crumbs bakery and hands it to Mike.

Mike opens the box and smiles when he sees his favorite cupcake, "The Good Guy." He eagerly grabs the cupcake and takes a big bite.

As Mike's munching away on his cupcake, Harvey attempts to hide his own smile as he opens his briefcase. "When you get off your sugar high from that cupcake, I have some work I need you to do. I'm working on the Hennessy merger. There's something off with the numbers, I need you to figure out what. I'll stop by here on Sunday night. That should be enough time, right?'

Mike puts down his cupcake and wipes the frosting from his mouth. "Y—y-ou g-g-ot it, H-h-ar-vey."

Harvey gives Mike a look of disgust when he sees Mike wiping his mouth with his sleeve. He hands Mike a napkin, "Here, use this."

"T-t-hanks."

"No problem. Now let's get down to business. I brought you some more books to read. And I brought both the original and the remake of 'The Italian Job.' You ready to determine which one is better?"

Mike smiles as they make their way over to the couch that's near the television, with the cupcake still in his hand. "D-d-e-f-f-init-f-f-ely. Re-re-m-m-make h-h-h-ands d-d-down."

Harvey tolls his eyes as he places the original in the blu ray player. "The original's always better."

"I-f-f t-t-the or-r-rig-inal's-s s-s-o g-g-ood t-t-hen w-w-hy f-f-eel t-t-he n-n-eed t-t-o r-r-ed do it?"

"Just shut up, and put the damn movie on." Harvey says as he hands Mike the remote as he sits down next to Mike on the couch.

Mike just laughs as he pushes play on the remote and the movie comes on the screen. Harvey smiles as Mike's watching the opening credits, while eating his cupcake. Mike's going to be just fine. Everything is going to be just fine.

**Not much excitement in this chapter, just Mike and Harvey hanging out. But, I actually had a lot of fun writing this one. I'm basically buttering you all up because the next chapter is going to have some monster angst in it. We're going to go back to the beginning. Stay tuned!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own Suits.**

**A/N: I know that I haven't updated this in forever, and I apologize to all those who are still following this story. As I said in my other Suits stories, I have lost a lot of my motivation for writing in this fandom. This story might fare better because it's essentially a series one-shots centering on an AU plot line twist. Anyways, enough of that. Just a little warning, this chapter is pretty angsty, so get ready!**

**Just Another Day-December 1, 2011**

It's not the lights of an early evening Manhattan skyline that wakes Harvey. Nor is it the grumbling of his stomach for not eating anything in nearly eight hours. It's the sound of Harvey's cell phone that brings him to consciousness after collapsing into bed. Fifty-one hours since Mike collapsed at Pearson Hardman. Thirty-nine hours since Mike got out of surgery. And five hours since Donna kicked Harvey out of the hospital after he passed out in what has got to be the most uncomfortable chair ever made, with strict instructions not to come back until the next morning, or she will go Christmas shopping for her entire family with his company credit card.

Like some kind of internal alarm, Harvey knew that he has to answer this and put Donna's threat to the backburner He groggily reaches for his phone on the night stand, a lump forms in the back of his throat when he sees that it's the fiery red head calling. "You missed me so much that you had to call me? I'm touched Donna."

"Harvey, you need to get down here right now!" Donna hisses into the phone.

Those nine words serve as a bucket of ice water being thrown at him. Harvey is instantly awake. He stands up and puts on a pair of jeans. "What the hell is going on? When I left, he was doing okay."

Harvey can hear Donna sigh, "I don't know, Harvey. But, you better get down here."

"I'm on my way." Harvey replies as he grabs a shirt out of a dresser drawer and pulls it over his head.

"Please, hurry."

"I left five minutes ago." Harvey says as he hangs up his phone and makes his way out of his condo.

**XXXXX**

Harvey walks swiftly to the ICU, spotting Donna and Dr. Clarke right away. "What's going on?"

Donna turns to him with tears in her eyes, "Thank God, you're here."

Harvey gives the pair a quizzical look because he still has no idea what's going on. He can tell that Donna has been crying because of the glistening of her eyes, and the puffiness. It must be bad. What the hell is going on?

Almost as if he can sense Harvey's silent question, Dr Clarke says "Mike developed a second bleed."

The lawyer instantly recalls what Mike's ICU nurse told him about the possibility of second bleeds. That in almost 4% of all cases of ruptured aneurysms, they start to bleed again within twenty-four hours. It seems that the kid can't catch a freaking break.

"What do you do to fix it?" Harvey asks with his eyes closed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"We go back into surgery and repair the sight of the bleeding." Dr. Clarke explains.

"Do it." Harvey says without hesitation.

"Harvey, before we go back in there you need to know that there is a higher chance of complications."

"What sort of complications?"

"Any surgery is risky, especially now since Mike is still pretty weak from the last one. When there is a second bleed, the possibility of brain damage increases substantially."

Donna gasps and latches herself onto Harvey. "My God, Harvey," she whispers.

"And if you don't operate?" Harvey asks nervously.

Dr. Clarke looks at Harvey and Donna, "He'll probably not make it."

"That's not an option. You have my permission to operate. Mike may not suffer any long lasting effects. I'd rather take that chance than have him die." Harvey explains.

Dr. Clarke nods his head in understanding. "Very well then. I'll have an OR prepped and we'll take him up within the hour."

"I there anything we should do?" Donna asks.

"I understand that Mike's grandmother is still alive."

Donna nods her head.

"I think you may want to bring her down here. This is going to be a tricky procedure. I can't make any promises. But, Mike's chances of surviving are definitely better if we operate. But, if things don't go well, I think it may be best to have his family here."

Donna nods her head as she turns to Harvey. "I'm going to call his grandmother and update her. You okay for now?"

Harvey nods his head silently and the redhead makes her exit. He then turns back to the doctor. "You better fix him. Failure is not an option."

"I'll do my best." Dr. Clarke says quietly.

"That's not good enough. He better make it."

Dr. Clarke knows that he can't make a promise that he may not be able to keep so he changes the subject. "I have to go set things up. You can see Mike for a bit before we bring him up to the OR."

Harvey nods his head and walks into Mike's ICU cubicle. The kid looks the same as he did when he left him several hours ago. He still can't put his head around how fast things went to shit. A little over forty-eight hours ago his biggest concern was whether or not Mike was going to get the Stephenson briefs done. And now, Mike is barely hanging on. Harvey stares at Mike's still form, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest with the assistance of a ventilator. He can't even breathe on his own. It was a miracle that the kid survived one brain bleed, and now there's another one. What really are his chances of surviving this unscathed?

He can't deal with this. This is too much for him to handle. He's needs to get the hell out of here. Before he leaves he pats Mike's hand. "I gotta get some work done. I'll be back." Then without saying another word, Harvey heads to the door without looking back.

**XXXXX**

Harvey's looking over numbers for the Walker merger at his desk. He's already finished the Peter briefs, but he still can't bring himself to look over the Stephenson file.

"I can't believe you're here."

Harvey looks up from the spreadsheet to see Louis standing at his door. Harvey sighs. "Go away, Louis. It's late. Don't you have small children to terrorize?"

Louis snickers. "You're here late. It's almost midnight. Usually you're long gone by now, and you leave your boy wonder here to do all the grunt work."

Harvey stands up when Louis mentions Mike. "Shut up, Louis," Harvey says sternly as he goes to a get a drink from the liquor cabinet in his office.

"I mean, you're here and your associate is in the damn ICU fighting for his life." Louis continues.

Harvey takes a sip from the glass of scotch that he's poured himself. He can't deal with Louis this late without alcohol. "Shut up, Louis."

Louis rubs his hand over his head. "No wait, he's not in the ICU. He's in the operating room having major surger because he could die."

Harvey takes another sip of scotch and turns to Louis, with venom in his voice he threatens "shut your mouth, or I'm going to do it for you."

"I mean people say I'm heartless. But, I would like to think that if my associate was in the hospital breathing on a ventilator, and there was talk that he might be a vegetable for the rest of his life. And that is if he survives, I think I would have t-"

And whether it was the lack of sleep, the gravity of the situation at hand, or Louis talking about Mike being a vegetable, Harvey loses it. In one swift motion he swings hard at Louis's face and makes contact.

Louis staggers back, and holds his hand to his face. "What the hell, Harvey!"

But, Harvey's not listening. It felt so good. He feels like a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders. He's been keeping everything in over the last two days. The anger at himself for not realizing that there was something seriously wrong with Mike. The helplessness of not being able to make Mike better. Seeing the sadness in the eyes of Donna, Rachel, and Mike's grandmother. If he felt this relieved with one punch, imagine how good he would feel after another. He winds up to hit Louis again when he feels a small hand on his fist.

"Harvey! Knock it off, now!"

Harvey turns and sees Jessica glaring at him. He instantly lowers his hand. He picks up his glass and takes another sip.

"Oh thank God you're here, Jessica." Louis says as he keeps a hand on his face. "He hit me for no reason."

Jessica scowls. "He hit you for no reason? I would bet your bonus and his that you egged him on. There have been many instances of when I thought Harvey would have hit you over the years, and he hasn't. I'm pretty confident that you're not exactly innocent here."

"I think he broke my nose." Louis whines.

Harvey rolls his eyes. "I didn't even hit your nose. And if I did, there would be blood everywhere."

Louis takes his hand away from his face and sure enough there's no blood. His eye and cheek is bright red. There will definitely be a bruise there. "Oh, well I still think-"

"Louis go home and put ice on your eye. You'll be fine." Jessica orders.

"Jessica, I can't believe you're not going to do anything about this." Louis complains.

"Louis, go. I got this." Jessica orders again.

Louis sighs and leaves Harvey's office in a rush, with his hand still over his face.

"You hit Louis. Really, Harvey." Jessica admonishes as she stands next to him.

"He was pissing me off," Harvey explains with a shrug of his shoulders.

Jessica rolls his eyes, "He pisses you off on a everyday basis. What was so different this time that caused you to throw a punch?"

Harvey looks down. "He was talking about Mike," Harvey says quietly.

A look of realization comes across Jessica's face. "I think we found the real problem here. I know you're upset about Mike. Donna called me and told me that he had to go back into surgery."

"Donna called you?"

"Why do you think I'm here? It's nearly one AM. My name is on the door, but I don't live here. She called me when she realized that you weren't at the hospital. She was worried about you."

Harvey doesn't say anything.

"Look, I know you're upset about Mike, a lot of people are. But, you need to get yourself together. You can't go off punching someone every time they make a comment about Mike. From what I here, people with ruptured aneurysms have long recovery periods. You're not going to do your associate any good if you're in lockup for manslaughter."

Harvey gives her a small smile, and the tension in the room eases for the moment. It's good to hear someone say talking about Mike's recovery. If Mike' has a recovery that means that he survived. Then Harvey's phone rings. He sees that it's Donna calling.

"Donna? What's going on?"

"You need to get back down here, Harvey."

Harvey can hear the tears in her voice. This isn't good.

"I'm leaving the office now."

"Hurry!"

Harvey hangs up and turns to Jessica, "I gotta go back to the hospital. Something's going on."

Jessica nods her head, "Keep me updated."

**XXXXX**

For the second time in less than eight hours Harvey finds Donna and Dr. Clarke outside of Mike's ICU cubicle.

"What's going on?" He asks.

Donna launches herself into Harvey's arms. Her face is in his neck. He can feel her sobs wracking her body.

He doesn't think that he's going to get any answers out of his assistant so he turns to the doctor. "What happened?"

"The bleed was severe. We repaired it, but there were some complications."

"What kind of complications?"

"Mike stopped breathing twice." Dr. Clarke answers.

Harvey closes his eyes for a second. He knows about the effects of oxygen deprivation has on the brain. "For how long?"

"The first time he stopped breathing, we were able to get him breathing within in a minute."

"The second time?" Harvey asks.

"it took almost six minutes to get his heart going." Dr. Clarke says in a quiet voice.

Harvey sighs. "What happens now?"

"We wait. We have him on medication. Hopefully that will prevent another bleed." The doctor stops for a minute. "Harvey, Mike will not be able to survive another bleed. The last time was a close call. We don't even know for sure what effects the lack of oxygen has had. Brain damage can result when the brain goes without oxygen in as little as three minutes, Mike went for nearly twice that."

Harvey doesn't like where this conversation is going. He knows there's something that the doctor isn't telling him. "What are you not telling me?"

The neurosurgeon takes a deep breath, "I'm sorry, but Mike's chances of surviving the night are slim. I think you should prepare yourself for the worst."

Harvey can feel Donna tense up against him. "I called Ray. He's going to pick up Mike's grandmother to bring her here," she whispers.

"I'm gonna go check in on another patient. You guys can go in now." Dr. Harvey pats Harvey's shoulder as he passes the lawyer.

Donna breaks away from Harvey and she looks up at him, "what do we do now?"

"We're gonna be there for Mike," Harvey says as he goes to walk into Mike's ICU cubicle.

Donna follows him in and gives Lori a sad smile as the nurse exits the room. She leans in and gives the young associate a kiss on the cheek, "Oh, Mike."

Harvey takes the chair by the young lawyer's bedside. "You're not gonna die kid. I won't let you. I still own you."

Donna gives Harvey a sad smile. "I'm gonna call Rachel. I think she should be here." Donna explains to Harvey. He shrugs his shoulders. He doesn't know much about his associate's love life. He knows that there is definitely an attraction between the two, but he doesn't know if there's anything else to it. But, if Donna thinks she should be here, that's good enough for him.

"If you think so, go for it."

Donna sees this as permission to go make the call, and Harvey finds himself alone with his associate. He leans forward with his arms resting on his knees, looking at his associate. He puts one of his hands on Mike's arm. "You got this. I know you do, kid. Prove these bastards wrong."

Harvey then quickly removes his arm before Donna comes back and sees the small display of affection. He sits back in his chair, and tilts his head back, closing his eyes. He finds himself silently saying the words he just said to his associate.

_You're not gonna die kid. I won't let you. You got this. I know you do, kid. Prove these bastards wrong._

Maybe if he says them enough he'll make himself believe them. Or better yet, they'll come true.

**I know it was angsty, but I hope you guys still liked it. I'm really proud of myself I literally got this out in less than four hours. Go me!  
><strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Suits.**

**A/N: I know it's been forever and a day since I last updated, I know you guys have heard it before but RL got crazy. Anways, for those of you who are still reading this I thought that you needed something more uplifting after the last angst ridden chapter. So here it is, a glimpse into a much more promising future for Mike. I'm not done with this one yet, but I wanted you guys to see how Mike is fairing in the future. There is some swearing in this chapter. I hope you enjoy!**

**Just Another Day-June 3, 2012**

Harvey peers over his newspaper, watching Donna pace across his office. He shakes his head and returns to the sports section of the New York Times, but a long sigh causes him to look up again.

"What is it, Donna?" He asks the redhead.

Donna stops her manic pacing to look at the closer. "He's not here yet."

Harvey looks at his watch. "It's only quarter after eight. I told him to be here for eight thirty."

Donna lets out another sigh. "I still think that you should have had Ray pick him up."

Harvey puts down the newspaper and rubs the bridge of his nose. I tried that Donna. But, he didn't want to hold Ray up from any other clients."

The redhead lets out a small laugh. "Really, Harvey? Since when have you cared about what Mike wants?"

Now it's the lawyer's turn to sigh. He really did try to get Mike to accept his offer of having Ray bring him into the office for his first day back. The two had a heated debate the night before. Harvey pushed for Mike to let Ray give him a ride in. But, Mike refused, saying that Ray has done enough for him since he has gotten out of Pine View. Harvey reminded Mike that the driver didn't mind bringing the young associate to and from doctor's appointments and other ordinary errands, nor would he mind bringing Mike to Pearson Hardman.

But, Mike didn't see it that way. He knows that Harvey hired Ray to chauffeur him around during his recovery, but things are different now. Mike is well enough to return to Pearson Hardman, granted it's only part time. But, still. He's perfectly capable of haling a cab and getting to work in one piece. And he certainly didn't want Harvey's charity and he didn't want to monopolize all of Ray's time, saying something to the effect of "how would you like it if you needed to get to the courthouse and couldn't because Ray was busy doing something else?"

And Harvey had to give the kid prompts for his persistence on the matter.

"Just be grateful that at least I got him to cave and he's now at least taking a cab." Harvey says.

"Got him to cave?" Donna asks quizzically. And then it clicks. "Don't even tell me, he was going to actually ride his bike?!"

Harvey's silence serves as her answer.

"He better not!" Donna exclaims.

Harvey stands up. "Don't worry about it. I confiscated it when I went over there last night to go over the guidelines of him coming back."

"So he knows that under no circumstances is he to stay past one?" Donna asks.

Harvey nods his head.

"He knows that if he even starts to get a headache he is to tell me or you right away."

The lawyer nods his head again.

"That he is to eat lunch at noon. No questions asked."

Harvey raises his voice, "Donna, I went over all this."

Donna takes a seat and looks up at Harvey. "Of course you did, Harvey. I'm just nervous about today. When he was at the hospital and Pine View it was different. Everyone knew about…it. For the most part they knew how to handle him. They knew what to do if Mike was having a bad day. But, here the cockroaches also known as associates haven't even seen Mike since it happened. And don't even get me started about Louis. If he does one thing to get Mike upset, I swear, Harvey I can't promise you that I won't hurt him."

Harvey raises his eyebrows. "I took care of it. Louis is not to give work to Mike unless he asks me first. I know how much Mike can handle and I don't need him to get overwhelmed so soon after his return. If I think that Mike is good then I will e the one who gives him any Louis projects."

The look on Donna's face tells the lawyer that she isn't fully satisfied with his response. She's waiting to hear something else. "And?"

"There's a reason why I told Mike to come in for 8:30 and not eight." Harvey continues. "As we speak Jessica is warning the associates that if anything is said or done to get Mike upset, they're done. She's not going to stand for their shit."

Donna lets out a sigh of relief. "That means that they're not going to make any smart ass remarks about him leaving early?"

Harvey nods his head.

"And they know better than to say anything if he starts to stutter or his hands start to shake?" Donna asks.

Harvey nods his head again. "They know that if they even whisper something about Mike's—"Harvey stops for a second to think of a word for the lasting effects of Mike's aneurysm. The things that have changed Mike since that day back in November. He still can't bring him to say the world brain damage. So he thinks of another word before he continues, "issues, not only will they be out of a job but that I will file a harassment suit on their asses on Mike's behalf faster than they can say all-nighter."

The smile on Donna's face tells Harvey that she is now satisfied, or is at least feeling better than she was earlier. Before either can say anything the phone rings and Donna says, "Let me get that," as she quickly makes her way back to her desk to answer it.

**XXXXX**

A soft knock causes Harvey to look up from his computer. He looks at the door to see a nervous looking Mike standing there, clenching his hands. The lawyer has to try really hard to stop himself from smiling because this is the way things should be. Mike belongs at Pearson Hardman buried under a never ending pile of briefs and other work that Harvey can't bring himself to do because it's such tedious work. Mike belongs here and not at a rehabilitation center learning how to feed himself again and speaking in complete sentences. For the first time in over six months things are exactly how they're suppose to be.

Harvey looks at his watch and says, "It's 8:34. You're late." Jesus, some things don't change. His banter does the trick, for Mike looks like a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders. The associate smiles and rolls his eyes as he sits down across from Harvey's desk.

Harvey hands him a thick folder. "I got a case for you." He sees Mike's eagerness as he eagerly takes the folder from his boss. "Don't get too excited there, pup. It's just a company embezzlement case. The CEO says he knew nothing about his employees' pension fund being drained, our client says otherwise."

"Got it. You want me to find the smoking gun that proves what our client is saying is true."

Before Harvey can reply Mike is already up and moving towards the door. Just as he's about to leave he hears, "How much coffee did you drink this morning?"

Mike turns around and looks at Harvey, "Easy, Dad. I just had one cup."

Harvey nods his head. "Good. I don't want to get a phone call from Louis saying that you're bouncing off the walls because of caffeine overdose." Mike rolls his eyes and he turns to leave. "Oh and one more thing Mike."

Mike lets out a frustrated sigh. All he wants to do is to get to his desk. Get back to work. To get back to the way things were before his life took a major detour. "Yes, Harvey." Mike says exasperated.

"If those douches give you a hard time in anyway, tell me."

Mike gives his a small smile, "Yes, Dad. Can I go now?"

Harvey gives his approval and Mike leaves. As he watches Mike leaves he mumbles to himself, _if you were my kid you would have a hell of a better fashion sense that you do. Stupid fucking skinny ties._

He then lets out a sigh in relief. Until he saw Mike all but rushing for the door to go work on the Thomason case, he was nervous about Mike coming back, probably more nervous than Mike. He knows that Mike can handle the work. He has had Mike helping out on cases here and there for a couple of months, but that's different than having Mike being back at the firm. When he gave Mike stuff to do he knew when Mike was recovering, there was no real pressure. If Mike had a rough day and couldn't get to the stuff that Harvey asked him to look at, he had one of the other associates do it. He can't do that now. Now that Mike is back working at Pearson Hardman, if Mike had a bad day he can't ask Harold, Greg, or another associate to do what he asked Mike to. Well, he could. But, how would that look? It would look like Mike isn't up to the task. Harvey knows he is. He has seen how far Mike has come from the days when Mike couldn't even hold a pen, couldn't tell anyone when he was in pain. But the other associates don't know that. All they know is that Mike is back and if they see that Mike isn't a 100% he's going to be viewed as being weak, easy prey. And that's not going to happen on Harvey's watch. He knows that Jessica talked to the Harvard douches, told them that nothing was to be said or done to make Mike feel uncomfortable. And they won't do such things when he, Jessica, and other partners are around, but he knows that's not what things are going to be like when the associates are left to their own devices.

With his mind made up Harvey stands up. He walks out of his office and as he's passing Donna's desk he answers her raised eyebrows with "I'm going to make sure that Mike is settled in."

Before Donna can make a snide comment about what bullshit that is, Harvey is already gone. "Sure you are, Harvey."

**XXXXX**

Mike is plowing right through the Thomason case when he feels his airbud being pulled out of his ear. What now? Who's checking in on him this time? Donna and Rachel already came by once making sure that he had lunch and asking him if he needed anything. Harvey also came by earlier under the pretense of making sure he knew how important the Thomason case. With a sigh of annoyance he utters, "What now?"

"I know that your speech and motor skills were affected by the aneurysm, I didn't know that your ability to tell time was."

Mike looks up in confusion at Harvey, "What?"

Harvey points to his watch. "It's almost twenty after one. You should have been out of here twenty minutes ago."

"I'm okay. I ate my lunch like a good boy and look no shaking," Mike says as he holds out his steady hand to Harvey.

"Yeah, you're fine now. But, what happens when you get tired in another hour. I'm not going to wipe the drool of your mouth and put you to bed," Harvey quips.

Mike shakes his head. "I'm not a kid, Harvey. I know what I can handle."

"Yeah, just like you said that you can handle the Wiley harassment suit. Then you stopped eating your meals and ran yourself into the ground and I ended up having to give it to Harold to finish." Harvey says as he picks up the ball of elastics off Mike's desk and starts tossing it into the air.

"I won't do that again, Harvey. I apologized for that."

"I know you won't. That's why we came up with the plan. You're out of here by one. I don't want you to relapse for the sake of some case. I'd rather you come back slowly and healthy than dive in head first and making yourself sick or jeopardizing a case," Harvey explains. "Now get out of here. The case will be here tomorrow. Go home take a nap, clean out your DVR, buy some halfway decent ties. I don't care what you do, I just don't want to see you back here before eight tomorrow morning. Leave before Donna kicks my ass because you're still here after one." Harvey says as he puts down the elastic ball.

Mike starts to get his bag in order as he goes to put a file in his bag, Harvey stops him. "What part of the case will be here tomorrow don't you understand? Leave that here. Go home."

Mike is about to object when Harvey cuts him off. "Leave. Now. Ray is waiting for you outside to take you right home. He's been out there for fifteen minutes. I'm going to start docking your pay if you're not down in that car by one thirty."

"But,-" Mike starts.

Harvey points at his watch, "Tick tock."

Mike quickly puts his coat on, "Bye, Harvey. See you tomorrow."

"Remember no work. If I find out that you did anything work related when you get home, I'm going to confiscate your computer." Harvey threatens.

"You can't do that," Mike bites back.

"Oh yes I can. I can go right back to your doctors and tell them that you're going against your agreed upon recovery plan. And I will promise you that Jessica will not go against a doctor's recommendation. Now give me whatever you're trying to sneak into your pocket." Harvey says with a smirk.

Mike knows when he's beat and hands Harvey over the flip drive that contains the worksheets he was looking at. "I'm leaving now, happy."

"Ecstatic," Harvey says as Mike stands up and makes his way towards the elevator. "Bye, Mike. I want you back here at eight o'clock sharp tomorrow morning."

Mike doesn't turn around and instead waves him off. Yes, this is exactly the way things are supposed to be Harvey thinks to himself and can't help but smile as he stands up and makes his way back to his office with the d-drive in his hand. He has some worksheets to look at.

**Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed this. As you can see I do eventually put Mike back together in one piece after beating him up quite a bit. For all those who celebrate Christmas I hope you had a great holiday.**


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